Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Thursday chaired the 2026 Umushyikirano National Dialogue at the Kigali Convention Centre, using the annual forum to confront persistent regional security challenges, particularly instability in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, while reiterating Rwanda's long-standing commitment to sovereignty, self-reliance and national dignity.
Umushyikirano, Rwanda's flagship dialogue platform, brings together citizens from across the country and abroad to engage directly with national leaders on governance, security and development.
This year's dialogue took place against the backdrop of heightened diplomatic friction between Kigali and Kinshasa, continued fighting in eastern DR Congo, and shifting regional alliances in the Great Lakes region.
In a pointed defence of Rwanda's independence and agency, Kagame warned against what he described as the dangerous notion that smaller or poorer countries must accept subservience to more powerful actors.
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"Accepting that you exist on the mercy of others is a mistake, it is something we should treat as unacceptable," Kagame said.
"We were not created by anyone, whoever they may be. No one owns us. It doesn't matter how powerful you are. It doesn't matter how rich you are. It doesn't matter how willing you are to use that power for the wrong ends. We, from a small country like Rwanda, we should be able to stand up to that."
His remarks reflect Rwanda's broader foreign policy posture, which has increasingly emphasized strategic autonomy, resistance to external pressure, and a willingness to challenge dominant international narratives, particularly on security matters in the eastern Congo.
The president devoted a significant portion of his speech to rejecting accusations that Rwanda's concerns in eastern DR Congo are driven by economic ambitions or territorial expansion.
Kinshasa and some international actors have repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing armed groups, including the M23 rebellion, allegations Kigali denies.
"They claim we are in Congo looking for minerals. That this is what causes our problems with Congo. They say our country, Rwanda is small and that we want to go into Congo to expand it," Kagame said, before insisting that such claims deliberately sidestep what he described as the core security threat facing Rwanda.
"But they try to avoid the real issue, which they also know, and in which they themselves are involved, concerning the Interahamwe militia who are in Congo. The Interahamwe were settled there. The Interahamwe were armed, both those who were already there and new ones, some were integrated into the Congolese army, while others operate alongside it," he said.
The Interahamwe militia, responsible for carrying out the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, fled into what is now eastern DR Congo after the genocide and later reconstituted under various armed group identities, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
Rwanda has for years argued that the continued presence of these forces, some of whom openly espouse genocidal ideology, constitutes an existential security threat.
"How does the world expect us to behave? Just listen to them and do whatever they ask us to do, even if it is leading to our own destruction?" Kagame asked, underscoring Rwanda's position that its security concerns have been consistently downplayed or ignored by international actors.
Kagame also commented on Burundi's decision to align itself more closely with the Congolese government on regional security matters, a shift that has strained relations between Kigali and Gitega. Burundi has deployed troops in eastern DR Congo as part of regional security arrangements supporting Kinshasa.
"Historically, Rwandans and Burundians considered themselves like twins, but for some reason Burundi said they no longer want to be twins with us, they want to be twins with the Congolese. I have no problem with that. If people have chosen whom to align with, that is their choice, and I accept it," Kagame said.
The statement was measured but pointed, reflecting Rwanda's acknowledgement of Burundi's sovereign choices while implicitly highlighting a deepening regional realignment that Kigali views with caution, particularly given Burundi's own internal political tensions and its security cooperation with DR Congo.
Beyond regional geopolitics, Kagame used the dialogue to situate Rwanda's external challenges within a broader philosophy of national development and human equality.
He rejected ideas of inherent superiority among nations, arguing that underdevelopment is not a product of destiny but of choices and systems.
"Around the world, we see countries that have advanced and prospered, some of which started where we were, or even behind us. Their ability to transform people's lives and develop their nations is not because they were created differently from us. There is no difference," he said.
"What changes along the way is that some seem to think that they are superior to others, that is simply not true, and you should never accept it. Accepting that idea only means choosing to remain where you are, even when it is not good, and convincing yourself that it is okay," Kagame added.
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He concluded by reaffirming self-reliance as Rwanda's defining national objective, a principle that has guided government policy since the aftermath of the 1994 genocide and remains central to its development planning.
"When we started this journey, we committed ourselves to be self-reliant, as individuals and as a country, so that our existence would not depend on luck, or on the goodwill of others who might choose to help us today and withdraw tomorrow, with harmful consequences, as you all know," he said.
"Self-reliance, therefore, is our main priority, it is our objective, and it is a responsibility that belongs to all of us, one that everyone of us must embrace and work towards."
The 2026 Umushyikirano comes at a time when Rwanda faces mounting diplomatic pressure, evolving security dynamics in the Great Lakes region, and renewed scrutiny from international partners.
Kagame's address signalled that, despite these pressures, Kigali intends to maintain a firm stance on sovereignty, security and development on its own terms.
