International Sanctions in the Great Lakes: The “Double Standard” Scandal and the Failure of Diplomacy
The diplomatic landscape of March 2026 is marked by a decision that once again illustrates the flagrant injustice of the international community in the Great Lakes region. On March 2, 2026, the United States announced a new series of sanctions targeting the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and four of its senior commanders, accusing them of direct operational support to the M23 rebel movement in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Rwandan commanders specifically targeted by these sanctions are:
•General Mubarakh Muganga, Chief of Defence Staff
•Major General Vincent Nyakarundi, Army Chief of Staff
•Major General Ruki Karusisi, Commander of the 5th Infantry Division
•Brigadier General Stanislas Gashugi, Commander of the Special Operations Force
While the condemnation of any support for armed groups is a laudable principle, the deafening silence and total absence of sanctions against Burundi and the DRC raise fundamental questions about the impartiality of Western powers, led by Washington.
The Forgotten Alliance: DRC, Burundi, and the FDLR
While Rwanda is being pilloried, numerous reports, including the recent midterm report of the United Nations Group of Experts (S/2025/858), have repeatedly documented active collaboration between the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), Burundian forces, and the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda). This group, partly composed of those responsible for the 1994 genocide, is nevertheless classified as a terrorist organization by many states.
URN HITAMWONEZA reminds that this alliance is not accidental. It is part of a regional destabilization strategy where Burundi and the DRC use negative forces to wage a proxy war. Evidence of this collaboration includes:
•Logistical and Operational Support: Elements of the FARDC and “Wazalendo” groups (allied with the Congolese government) have been seen coordinating offensives with the FDLR against the M23.
•Clandestine Financing: The FDLR continues to fund itself through the illegal exploitation of mineral resources (gold, coltan, cassiterite) in areas under Congolese government control, often with the complicity of local officers who facilitate access to sites and the transit of minerals. This illicit financing system allows the FDLR to procure weapons and maintain its capacity for harm.
The Betrayal of the Lusaka Agreements
Why do the United States, which sponsored the 1999 Lusaka Agreements—which required the disarmament and repatriation of all armed groups, including the FDLR and the predecessor movements of the CNDD-FDD—now turn a blind eye to this blatant complicity? By failing to sanction Burundi and the DRC for their collaboration with the FDLR, Washington violates the very spirit of these agreements it helped forge and compromises regional stability.
Unpunished Declarations of War and Incitement to Violence: A Violation of International Law
The “double standard” is all the more glaring as the leaders of the DRC and Burundi no longer hide their bellicose intentions, openly violating international law which prohibits incitement to violence and interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state [8]. These statements fall under several principles of public international law, notably the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states (Article 2, paragraph 7 of the UN Charter) and the prohibition of the threat or use of force (Article 2, paragraph 4 of the UN Charter).
•Félix Tshisekedi (DRC): During his election campaign in December 2023, he compared the Rwandan president to Adolf Hitler and openly threatened to declare war on Rwanda to overthrow its regime. These remarks constitute incitement to hatred and a direct threat to the sovereignty of a neighboring state.
•Évariste Ndayishimiye (Burundi): On January 21, 2024, in Kinshasa, he made inflammatory remarks calling on Rwandan youth to “free themselves” from their leaders, a direct incitement to the overthrow of a sovereign government. Such statements are contrary to the principles of good neighborliness and non-aggression.
These declarations are not mere political rhetoric; they constitute flagrant violations of the African Union Charter and UN principles on state sovereignty. Yet, no sanctions have been taken against Kinshasa or Gitega, sending a dangerous message of impunity.
Conclusion: The Call of URN HITAMWONEZA
URN HITAMWONEZA denounces this policy of selective sanctions which only fuels the cycle of violence in the region. By sanctioning only Rwanda while ignoring the provocations and guilty alliances of Burundi and the DRC with the FDLR, the international community encourages impunity and seriously compromises the prospects for lasting peace.
“It is unacceptable that the United States and the UN turn a blind eye to the collaboration between the Ndayishimiye regime, the Tshisekedi regime, and the FDLR terrorists. This partiality discredits peace efforts and strengthens those within the CNDD-FDD who prefer war over democracy.”
URN HITAMWONEZA demands that the same rigor be applied to all actors in the crisis. If support for armed groups is to be sanctioned, it must include those who arm and protect the FDLR. Peace in the Great Lakes will only be possible when justice ceases to be a political tool at the service of certain interests and becomes a reality for all the peoples of the region.
URN HITAMWONEZA
For the Renaissance and Truth in Burundi