On Saturday, March 22, 2025, the leadership of the FDU-Inkingi party gathered in Brussels to assess the political and security situation in Rwanda and the wider Great Lakes region. Following the meeting, the opposition party in exile issued a statement strongly condemning the actions of the Rwandan government and its military intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Signed by Secretary General Pierre-Célestin Rwalinda, the communiqué accuses President Paul Kagame and his ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) of imposing a dictatorship on the Rwandan people. The party further denounces what it describes as a war of aggression waged by Kigali against a neighboring country, in clear violation of international law.
The FDU-Inkingi expressed its full support for the sanctions imposed on Rwanda by international organizations and allied countries. These measures, the party argues, are essential to pressure the Rwandan government to end its military operations in eastern Congo and to withdraw its troops unconditionally from Congolese territory. The communiqué calls for sanctions to be strengthened and maintained for as long as the aggression continues.
The party also voiced solidarity with Rwandan refugees and Congolese civilians affected by violence. It directly accuses the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) and the M23 rebel group—widely believed to be backed by Kigali—of committing war crimes, killings, and looting of resources in eastern DRC. These crimes, it says, are being carried out openly and with the full knowledge of Rwandan authorities.
FDU-Inkingi reiterated its commitment to denouncing these acts and to working toward political change in Rwanda. It called on the Rwandan population to continue resisting the regime and to fight for their freedom and dignity by breaking free from what it labels an authoritarian system.
While acknowledging that international sanctions may impact the Rwandan population, the party argues that this burden must not overshadow the need for deep and lasting political change. According to the statement, the end of authoritarian rule in Kigali is the only path to genuine peace, both within Rwanda and across the Great Lakes region.
With this statement, FDU-Inkingi sends a clear message to the international community: the Rwandan crisis cannot be separated from the ongoing war in eastern Congo. The party urges global actors to maintain pressure on the Kagame regime, arguing that accountability and political reform are crucial to ending the cycle of violence in the region.
