Kagame Deceived the Deputies, the Rwandan People, and the International Community

Kagame Deceived the Deputies, the Rwandan People, and the International Community:

A Detailed Analysis of Paul Kagame's Statements and His Repeated Violations of Peace Agreements**

Today, 11 December 2025, Paul Kagame openly admitted before Members of Parliament that Rwanda/M23 had launched hostilities and begun the capture of Uvira even before he travelled to sign the Washington Agreements. He added that the fighting continued while he was signing the agreements and is still ongoing today.
No one knew this: only Kagame and his military units were aware of the clandestine offensive, consistent with a pattern of strategic secrecy that has been repeatedly documented.

Kagame acknowledged that he went to sign the agreements while he had just ordered the offensive on Uvira, and that those with whom he was signing had been given no information, preventing them from raising any objections because they simply did not know.
This pattern of concealment mirrors what has been repeatedly reported in UN Group of Experts reports on Rwanda's covert military involvement in eastern DRC (2012, 2013, 2022, 2023).

He also admitted he was personally involved in the war for the capture of Uvira, while the international community believed a ceasefire was in place under the Doha Agreements.
His hidden offensive continued even as he was signing the Washington Agreements.

These admissions confirm a consistent historical pattern: Kagame never respects the agreements he signs, a behaviour already observed during the Arusha Peace Accords (1993) and throughout subsequent regional crises.

1. The Uvira Offensive Was Planned Before the Signing of the Agreements

Kagame acknowledged that the capture of Uvira was a premeditated military operation, not a spontaneous event.
This behaviour aligns with the modus operandi described in multiple UN reports documenting Rwanda's covert planning of M23's actions prior to any formal announcements (UN Group of Experts, S/2012/843).

Thus, while signing the Washington Agreements, Kagame knew that:

the peace commitments he was signing would not be honoured,
military operations were already underway,
he was engaging in a deliberate deception of international mediators.

Such behaviour mirrors previous violations, including Rwanda's disregard for the 1999 Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement.

2. He Signed the Agreements While Lying About the Absence of Fighting

Kagame's own statements reveal that:

international representatives at the signing ceremony were given no information about Rwanda/M23's ongoing military operations;
despite the agreements requiring an immediate halt to hostilities, he signed knowing that the war was continuing and that Uvira was under assault.

This constitutes:

diplomatic fraud,
a severe breach of trust,
a violation of international law, which demands good faith, transparency, and honesty in peace negotiations.

Similar patterns of deception have been condemned by:

UN Security Council Resolution 2098 (2013),
UN Group of Experts reports (2022–2023) confirming Rwanda's direct military oversight of M23,
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which have repeatedly documented Kigali's use of disinformation to advance military objectives.

3. Continuing the War While Signing the Agreements Constitutes a Deliberate Violation

Kagame admitted that the fighting continued while he signed the agreements. This demonstrates:

complete disrespect for the Washington Agreements,
no intention whatsoever to comply,
a deliberate effort to mislead the international community into believing a peace process was underway while military operations continued.

Launching a war in secrecy while signing a peace agreement is:

political manipulation,
diplomatic deception,
and a form of military cowardice.

Under international law, any party that signs an agreement while:

hiding essential information,
lying, or
continuing hostilities,

is considered to have intentionally violated the agreement.

This constitutes a deliberate violation of a peace agreement through deception.

4. Kagame Never Respects Agreements: The Precedent of the Arusha Accords

The violation of the Washington Agreements fits within a long-established pattern.
The Arusha Peace Accords (1993) provide the clearest historical example of Kagame's systematic refusal to honour agreements.

Key references:

Arusha Peace Accords (1993): Kagame and the RPF committed to power-sharing and integration into a transitional government.
ICTR findings: despite signing, the RPF continued military preparations and violated ceasefire commitments.
Scholarly research by Filip Reyntjens, Allan Stam, Christian Davenport: the RPF used negotiations as cover while preparing a military takeover.
French judicial investigations (Bruguière, 2006; Trévidic, 2010) point to strong indications of RPF involvement in the assassination of President Juvénal Habyarimana.

The downing of Habyarimana's plane — described in many analyses as the decisive act by which the RPF destroyed the Arusha Accords — triggered the collapse of the peace process.

Thus, violating the Washington Agreements is not an anomaly.
It is part of a long-term strategic doctrine based on:

signing agreements to reassure the international community,
continuing military preparations in secret,
sabotaging negotiations internally,
creating confusion,
using military advantage once the world has been deceived.

5. Legal and Political Consequences

Despite claiming he respected the Washington Agreements, Kagame's admissions show:

he breached the principle of good faith,
launched a military offensive during peace talks,
deliberately misled negotiators,
signed commitments he knew were invalidated by his actions.

International law defines this behaviour as a deliberate violation of a ceasefire or peace agreement, including:

Article 26 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties,
internationally accepted norms of good-faith negotiation.

His conduct represents the intentional destruction of the agreements.

6. What Kagame Is Preparing Now

After the capture of Uvira:

he will immediately request a ceasefire,
he will pressure Qatar to restart negotiations between Rwanda/M23 and the DRC,
the DRC will be forced to accept due to lack of alternatives,
Kigali will control both the rhythm of the war and the negotiation timetable.

This pattern is identical to what appears in:

UN Group of Experts reports (2012–2023),
International Crisis Group analyses,
EU reports on the destabilisation of the Kivu region.

This is a never-ending cycle, and the DRC will remain trapped as long as the international community fails to recognise the systematic nature of Kagame's strategy.

Primary References

United Nations – Group of Experts on the DRC: Reports 2012, 2013, 2022, 2023.
United Nations – DRC Mapping Report (2010).
UN Security Council Resolution 2098 (2013).
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969), Article 26.
Arusha Peace Accords (1993).
ICTR reports and findings (1993–1994).
Bruguière Report (2006) and Trévidic investigations (2010).
Reyntjens, F. – Political Governance in Post-Genocide Rwanda.
Davenport & Stam – Rwanda: What Really Happened.
Human Rights Watch – Reports on Rwanda and M23 (1994–2023).
Amnesty International – Reports on eastern DRC and Rwandan involvement.

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