Kigali – 11 th Feb 2026 , Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation, Amb. Olivier J.P Nduhungirehe, has questioned whether the international community is doing enough to address what he describes as repeated use of foreign mercenaries in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following fresh reports about private military contractors supporting Congolese forces. Minister Nduhungirehe in a post shared on X (former twitter) argued that the use of foreign mercenaries would violate both African and international legal frameworks, including the 1977 OAU convention on the

Kigali – 11th Feb 2026

, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation, Amb. Olivier J.P Nduhungirehe, has questioned whether the international community is doing enough to address what he describes as repeated use of foreign mercenaries in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following fresh reports about private military contractors supporting Congolese forces. Minister Nduhungirehe in a post shared on X (former twitter) argued that the use of foreign mercenaries would violate both African and international legal frameworks, including the 1977 OAU convention on the elimination of mercenarism in Africa and the 1989 UN Convention against the recruitment, use, financing and training of mercenaries.

Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation, Amb. Olivier J.P Nduhungirehe

His post questioned whether the UN Security Council, African Union, and broader international community would respond to what he described as persistent violations of international law. Rwandan officials have previously raised similar concerns, warning that foreign fighters and private military contractors risk escalating the regional conflict.

The debate follows a recent Reuters report stating that Erik Prince, founder of the former Blackwater private security company, deployed a private armed team to help the DRC army secure the strategic town of Uvira. According to Reuters, the contractors reportedly operated drones and coordinated with foreign advisers training Congolese special forces. The report said the deployment happened during fighting linked to the long running eastern Congo conflict. Analysts warn that allegations involving foreign fighters  whether confirmed or disputed  risk further complicating peace efforts in the Great Lakes region.    

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