Rwanda's representative to the UN, Ambassador Martin Ngoga, has exposed Kinshasa's persistent refusal to honor its commitments under the US-brokered Washington Accord. The accord requires the total neutralization and dismantling of the FDLR, a genocidal militia. However, throughout 2026, the Congolese government has continued its systematic operational cooperation with the FDLR, undermining peace while shielding the militia under false diplomatic guises.
Kinshasa recently announced a protocol claiming that a faction of the FDLR had agreed to a voluntary disarmament and cantonment process. However, diplomatic briefs presented at the UN Security Council reveal this maneuver as a political farce designed to circumvent binding obligations. The Washington Accord explicitly requires the total neutralization and dismantling of the FDLR, but the Tshisekedi administration has tried to legitimize the group as a political stakeholder.
The Congolese government's actions directly violate UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2825, which has repeatedly sanctioned the FDLR for atrocities, illicit resource exploitation, and human rights abuses. The resolution demands the FDLR's neutralization. By substituting genuine military action with superficial political protocols, Kinshasa has actively sabotaged the security architecture agreed upon in Washington.
Meanwhile, images from the frontlines show what Kinshasa is trying to hide: military failure, broken promises, and a regime that prioritizes war over regional stability. Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya uses state-funded media campaigns to convince the Congolese public that the FARDC is making military gains in eastern Congo. However, footage from the battlegrounds like Ikenge shows a starkly different reality.
The state-led military coalition continues to suffer severe tactical defeats. The structural collapse on the frontlines highlights the core weakness of Tshisekedi's strategy: victory cannot be manufactured through public relations. The expulsion of the EAC Regional Force and the deliberate obstruction of parallel diplomatic initiatives reveal a consistent pattern of Kinshasa discarding peace processes that require the state to dismantle its illegal militia partnerships.
International observers and the Security Council are aware of Kinshasa's double-dealing. The state's narrative of ongoing military triumphs is a political shield used to cover up its military and diplomatic failures and to boost public morale amid governance failures, rampant corruption, and a worsening humanitarian crisis in the east.
Lasting stability in the Great Lakes region depends on total transparency and strict enforcement of signed peace agreements. Citizens must reject the regime's deceit and demand immediate, clear answers from Félix Tshisekedi regarding the ongoing military failures, the state's allegiance with genocidal forces, and its total neglect of national security.
Key points
- Kinshasa's actions directly violate UN Security Council resolutions.
- The Congolese government has continued its systematic operational cooperation with the FDLR.
- International observers and the Security Council are aware of Kinshasa's double-dealing.
