Intergovernmental organisations, pressure groups, policymakers and various actors have drawn global attention to the conflict in the eastern city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Consequently, in both media and academic debates, there is a strong focus on certain key issues that are underpinned by what can be compelling and, at times, persuasive mythical narratives.
Among these narratives is the claim of Rwanda’s growing and expansionist influence in the Great Lakes Region, wherein Kigali is accused of fomenting conflicts in the DRC to overturn the power structure in Kinshasa and allegedly using the M23 “rebels” as a proxy to achieve its political ambitions.
The Banyamulenge Tutsis narrative
One narrative gaining traction is the portrayal of the conflict through the lens of Africa’s transnational ethnic politics. In this view, the so-called “Banyamulenge Tutsi” myth is frequently used to describe a link between the Kagame regime and the M23 rebels. According to this myth, these Tutsis are originally from Rwanda and, due to the artificial borders imposed during the colonial epoch, ended up in the DRC. This mythical account often serves to explain why successive governments in Kinshasa have pushed for their repatriation.
Kigali has often adopted a militarised lens in its dealings with Kinshasa, particularly in the conflicts of 1996, 1997 and the present day
Academic fields such as socio-onomastics — which focuses on naming — underscore how myths and collective memory are social constructions that inform cultural and political interaction. As Moses Finley argues in The Use and Abuse of History, “the function of myths is to make the past intelligible and meaningful by focusing on a few bits of the past, which thereby acquire permanence, relevance, and universal significance.”
Indeed, successive Congolese governments, emerging from a weakened state inherited after decades of misrule under Mobutu Sese Seko and Laurent-Désiré Kabila, have pointed to Rwanda and the M23 as key culprits for ongoing instability. This approach, however, often overlooks the philosophical foundations of the M23 as a pressure group formed ostensibly to protect the interests of Congolese Tutsis; an argument famously supported by Tanzania’s founding father Julius Mwalimu Nyerere, who once emphasised that the Banyamulenge are Congolese.
Rwanda’s ontological security
The concept of ontological security originates in psychology, where it describes how an individual’s mental stability relies on a sense of continuity in life events. In politics and international relations, states similarly behave in ways that protect their identity and interests against perceived threats, both real and existential.
For Rwanda, the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis, perpetrated by Hutu extremists against Tutsis following the power vacuum created by President Juvénal Habyarimana’s death radically shaped the country’s security framework. The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) emerged as the key institution tasked with ensuring national survival. The presence of genocidaires and allied militias who fled into neighbouring DRC reinforced Rwanda’s sense of existential insecurity. Consequently, Kigali has often adopted a militarised lens in its dealings with Kinshasa, particularly in the conflicts of 1996, 1997 and the present day.
In a recent CNN interview, President Paul Kagame denied the involvement of Rwandan troops in the DRC. While this statement counters rumours of Rwanda’s ongoing interference, it simultaneously underscores Kigali’s deep-seated security concerns. According to Kagame, the conflict in eastern DRC directly impacts Rwanda’s national security interests.
This stance aligns with comments from M23 spokesperson Victor Tesongo, who suggests that Rwanda’s priority remains “its fight against the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), which are allied to the Congolese government and used against the security of Rwanda.”
The FDLR, comprising Hutu refugees and former extremists intent on curbing Tutsi political influence, represents a lingering threat to the Kagame regime. Conversely, many in the DRC believe their government continues to support the FDLR to destabilise Rwanda. As a result, eastern DRC has become a hotspot for armed militias widely assumed to be funded or supported by neighbouring governments, fuelling tensions.
The conflict in eastern DRC is a complex tapestry of historical grievances, transnational ethnic politics, security dilemmas, and powerful mythical narratives. Reducing it to a single factor, whether an alleged Rwandan expansionist policy or Kinshasa’s state failures, offers only partial insight into the region’s long-standing challenges. Understanding the complexities of these narratives and recognising the role of ontological security in shaping state behaviour are essential steps towards crafting durable solutions for peace and stability in the Great Lakes Region.
• Dr Dylan Yanano Mangani is an expert in foreign policy, international relations and politics.
For opinion and analysis consideration, email Opinions@timeslive.co.za
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