Rwanda has issued a detailed clarification after reports about an incident involving its delegation and officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at a hotel in Washington, DC.
In a public statement by the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in the U.S., Rwandan authorities said the incident occurred at a hotel where both the Rwandan and DRC delegations were staying at the same time.
The hotel was in Washington, DC, where both delegations were present for official engagements.
The Embassy stated that the incident started when an unarmed member of the security team assigned to a Rwandan VIP accidentally came into contact with security agents from the DRC delegation.
Rwanda Issues Statement
According to the Rwanda Embassy in the U.S, the encounter happened in a hotel hallway that was open and accessible to all guests of the hotel.
Rwanda stated that during this encounter, the Rwandan security officer was briefly stopped by DRC security agents from entering an elevator.
According to the Rwandan statement, this action occurred in a common area of the hotel and was inappropriate and wrong.
The Rwandan government said that security personnel from one delegation have no authority to restrict movement in shared hotel spaces.
However, Rwanda added that the matter did not escalate further and was resolved without violence or confrontation.
Following the incident, the Rwandan delegation decided to move to a different hotel.
Rwanda said the decision was taken to avoid further uncomfortable situations and to ensure the safety and smooth movement of its officials.
During the process of checking out and preparing to leave the hotel, Rwanda said members of its delegation were harassed and filmed by unknown individuals.
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The Rwandan government stated that it was unaware of who the individuals were or whom they were acting for.
Discipline and Order Amid Conflict
Despite what Rwanda described as provocation, the Rwandan delegation said its members remained calm, restrained, and professional at all times.
According to the statement, the Rwandan team deliberately avoided any confrontation and ensured that the situation did not worsen.
Rwanda stressed that no physical altercation occurred and that no law enforcement intervention was required.
The delegation departed safely after completing the hotel checkout process.
The Rwandan government also expressed concern over what it described as false and misleading reports about the incident.
According to Rwanda, there has been a gross misrepresentation of what actually happened.
“There has been gross misrepresentation of what transpired, including blatant dishonesty by the DRC Minister of Information in a press conference last night. These contemptible lies should be disregarded and condemned,” read part of the statement by the Rwanda Embassy in the U.S.
In particular, Rwanda accused the DRC Minister of Information of making dishonest claims during a press conference held later that night.
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Rwanda said the statements made by the minister did not reflect the true sequence of events and distorted the facts.
The incident highlighted the long‑standing tensions between Rwanda and the DRC, whose governments do not see eye to eye on major regional matters.
DRC Responds
Shortly after Rwanda issued its clarification, the DRC government released its own response.
DRC Government Spokesperson and Minister of Communication and Media Patrick Muyaya Katembwe posted a statement on his official X account.
In his statement, Muyaya said the incidents occurred at a hotel where DRC First Lady Denise Nyakeru was staying in Washington, DC.
He said the First Lady had been in the U.S. capital for several days at the invitation of the United States First Lady, Melania Trump.
The DRC official rejected Rwanda’s account and accused Rwanda of spreading false information.
He said the DRC was at a stage where it had systematically dismantled what he described as Rwanda’s strategy of lies.
“We are in close contact with the American authorities to get the details of what happened. We will come back to it,” Muyaya stated.
Muyaya also linked the hotel incident to broader accusations against Rwanda, referring to Rwanda and the M23 rebel group using language commonly employed by Congolese officials.
He said the DRC was familiar with what he described as their methods, especially in times of pressure.
He concluded by stating that First Lady Denise Nyakeru was safe and unharmed.
