A resurfaced video of Rwandan President Paul Kagame making controversial remarks about the origins of the M23 rebellion and the rise of Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo has sparked renewed debate across the Great Lakes region ahead of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s inauguration ceremony in Kampala.
The video, which has been widely circulated on social media, gained traction after being shared by political commentator Remmy Bahati, who described it as a story that “deserves attention across Africa.”
In the footage, President Kagame appears to question why Uganda has not faced the same level of international scrutiny as Rwanda over the M23 conflict in eastern Congo.
“This M23, I have said it before, came from Uganda. They did not come from here. Why was it not made Uganda’s problem?” Kagame said in the video.
“You cannot blame us for the start of this conflict, because everybody knows where this conflict started from and by whom,” he added.
The remarks have resurfaced at a sensitive diplomatic moment, with several regional leaders linked to the issues raised in the video attending President Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony at Kololo Independence Grounds.
Among the dignitaries expected in Kampala are President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo and other African leaders involved in regional peace and security efforts.
In the same video, Kagame also made claims regarding Tshisekedi’s rise to power in the Democratic Republic of Congo, alleging that the Congolese leader did not genuinely win office but emerged through a negotiated political arrangement.
“You know how the current president came to be president?” Kagame asked in the clip.
“He was just called to the office and this man thought he was making a good deal and they handed him power.”
Kagame further referenced former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as leaders he claimed were aware of the negotiations surrounding the Congolese political transition.
The resurfacing of the video has reignited debate over the long-running conflict in eastern Congo, where the M23 rebel group has remained at the center of regional tensions and international concern.
The Congolese government and several Western countries have previously accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels, allegations Kigali has consistently denied.
Rwanda, on the other hand, has accused the Congolese government of collaborating with armed groups hostile to Kigali, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
The renewed circulation of Kagame’s remarks comes as regional leaders continue diplomatic efforts aimed at stabilizing eastern Congo amid growing humanitarian concerns and escalating violence.
Neither the governments of Uganda nor the Democratic Republic of Congo had officially responded to the resurfaced video by press time.