During a press conference, President Paul Kagame criticized european powers regarding the ongoing crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Speaking directly about the area now occupied by the M23 group, Kagame dismissed calls by european nations to urgently reopen the Goma airport for humanitarian aid as a mere “pretext” to mask their own hidden interests.
He accused these nations of hypocrisy, suggesting they frame Rwanda and level “nonsense and false accusations” while they are the ones actively involved in illegally extracting precious stones from the DRC. The president underlined that if these international actors genuinely desire the airport to be operational, they would focus on finding lasting political solutions to the root causes that led to the airport closure, rather than using humanitarian need as a convenient cover.
This occurred when journalists asked questions quoting what the French president Emmanuel Macron stated currently during a conference, framing the reopening of the Goma airport as part of a humanitarian response to issues affecting the population of Goma and the surrounding territories occupied by the M23 rebels. He argued :“we cannot remain silent spectators of the tragedy unfolding in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo” …” So, I am instantly asking all the concerned parties to make their efforts for the advancement of this humanitarian matter.”
In this regards, president Kagame dismissed the humanitarian narrative on Goma that he calls a selective and politically motivated focus on the current crisis.
On 23rd November, 2025, when the president of France Emmanuel Macron talked about the humanitarian policy targeting the eastern part of congo, now occupied by the M23 rebels, smoothly, on twitter (x), Bertrand Bisimwa, the president of the rebel movement replied that the areas mostly affected are the territories under the government control, not in Kivu.
He stated: “What a “humanitarian” policy that ignores the famine affecting millions of Congolese in Kinshasa, Kasai, and Équateur!. No humanitarian emergency is being considered at the airports of Kinshasa, Tshipaka, or Bandundu? The secured Kivu region is in food overproduction even prices have collapsed.
“To reopen the Goma airport, they must first contact the AFC/M23. We need to be at the table of discussion, that is the priority. The reasons being put forward are purely political; they have nothing to do with humanitarian issues”. emphasized Laurence Kanyuka, the political spokesperson of the AFC/M23.
Speaking during a press conference on November 27, 2025, Kagame said the international community failure to address congo’s root of instability is masked by a “humanitarian” façade, serving to obscure the culprits.
President Paul Kagame stressed that what is often described as a humanitarian crisis is instead being used as a cover to avoid exposing those responsible for the conditions in the region. The root cause of the crisis in Goma is what should be highlighted if any solution is to be found, however stated that there is fear to expose the people behind the crisis and the ones behind it rather use the terminology of a humanitarian crisis as a cover.
Asked why Goma is considered such an important issue, Kagame said those presenting themselves as concerned actors are often the very people worsening the situation. He said the people behind the crisis operate in double standards.
According to Kagame, “the persons behind the crisis are living a double stand and hypocrisy, at times showing they are offended by the suffering yet not.” “The people behind the suffering in Goma are the same who make a lot of noise, a lot of anger and even try to teach values to Africans.” He added
President Kagame further argued that Goma is currently non-functional not because of the crisis itself, but because it is controlled by actors who have no interest in its success.
“If I were the ones controlling the city, would ask them [Europeans]…you want Goma, Kavumu or Bukavu or the whole of Eastern Congo back?, fine! I have no problem with that. It will only come with you addressing my problems.” hypothetically said, while explaining how he would respond, if he would be the M23.
“Goma is part of my problems that I face with Kinshasa government and now it is in my hands, I will not give it to you until you show me alongside that, how you address my problems.’ Well I may sound as if speaking for these guys [the M23 rebels] but am just reasoning,” he said as he raised his right shoulder and twisted his right hand in his argument.
Kagame said that failing to address the causes of the crisis while expecting stability is unrealistic.
He argued that Goma’s paralyzed airport operations raises questions that must be answered if regional stability is to be restored but emphasized that just healing the symptoms without confronting the root cause will not uproot the cancer. He metaphorically stressed.
The city of Goma tragically fell under the control of the M23 rebels on January 27, 2025, after some weeks that the airport administrative and control systems were destroyed during the hostilities
The M23 rebels have been accused of being backed by Rwanda but Rwanda completely denying the accusations by stating that these rebels are Congolese not Rwandans.
Among other governance issues that the rebels claim to eradicate, there’s also the problem of thousands of congolese tutsis massively chased out of their country [DRC], while them, decisively swore that sooner or later they would return and live in their homeland, at any cost.
To date, more than 83 thousand Congolese Tutsi refugees, chased by the genocidaires who fled in Zaïre in 1994, have found refuge in Rwanda and accommodated in five established camps, among which, destitute of everything, the youth [male and female] are the most ones reinforcing the rebel movement.
Despite the 83,850 dispatched in the 5 refugee camps in Rwanda, the UNHCR statistics show that 36,574 Congolese Tutsi have got asylum in the global north countries and among them, 26,332 are in the united states of America.
