Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe firmly rejected on Sunday the recent claims by the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) military that a man, captured in the DRC, was a member of the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF).
The man, identified as Jean de Dieu Hakizimana Iradukunda, claimed he was sent by Rwanda to fight with the M23 rebels. However, Minister Nduhungirehe quickly dismissed these allegations, calling them false and part of a wider disinformation campaign.
The Congolese military said the man had been injured in southern Lubero and left behind by his comrades. They accused him of being a Rwandan soldier, but the Rwandan government has strongly denied this.
In a statement shared on social media, Ambassador Nduhungirehe pointed out that the man could not even identify his unit, his commander, or his military number, which is required for all RDF soldiers.
“He doesn’t know his unit or commander, and he can’t provide his RDF identification number,” the Minister said. “This makes it clear that he is not a soldier of Rwanda.”
The man, who claims to be from Rwanda’s Western Province, specifically from the Ngororero locality in the Murenge “Groupement” within the Kazabi Territory, was also called out for his false claims about his origin. “The areas he mentions do not exist in Rwanda,” Nduhungirehe explained. “Every Rwandan knows that our country is divided into provinces, districts, sectors, cells, and villages. Ngororero exists with 13 sectors, but there are no places named ‘Murenge’ or ‘Kazabi.’ These are places in the DRC, not Rwanda.”
This is not the first time the DRC military has spread false claims about captured individuals. Earlier this year, FARDC spokesperson Colonel Guillaume Ndjike presented another man, Abouba Ndayambaje, claiming he was an RDF soldier from Kayonza. However, when shown again, Ndayambaje was seen wearing torn civilian clothes, not military attire, which raised further doubts about the claim.
Ambassador Nduhungirehe condemned this behavior, saying that after failing on the battlefield, the FARDC had resorted to spreading rumors. “It’s clear that after their defeat in battle, FARDC has turned to social media to spread lies,” he said. “This is a tactic to confuse and mislead.”
The Rwandan government has repeatedly expressed concern over these false narratives, which often seem aimed at justifying cooperation with terrorist groups like FDLR. These groups pose a threat to Rwanda’s security, and the Rwandan government remains vigilant in countering such misinformation.
Ambassador Nduhungirehe also noted that many people in eastern DRC speak Kinyarwanda, a language shared by both Rwandans and some Congolese. This can sometimes lead to confusion, with individuals falsely claiming to be Rwandan.
The Rwandan government continues to defend its sovereignty and security, while denouncing these misleading claims and the tactics used by the DRC military.
