NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 26– Rwanda has strongly criticized the international community’s approach to the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), accusing it of hypocrisy and “selective” outrage.Rwanda’s Press Secretary, Stephanie Nyombayire refuted claims that Kigali has been unwilling to support a political solution to the crisis and maintain that President Paul Kagame’s administration has long advocated for diplomatic resolutions.However, she accused DRC’s President Félix Tshisekedi of rejecting these efforts.“Unlike what the international community will have you believe, the idea that a political solution is necessary to solve the conflict in Eastern DRC is far from new. It is what Rwanda has been calling for, for years,” she stated.“It is exactly what President [Félix] Tshisekedi has openly and repeatedly refused to do. And we will not join you in pretending otherwise.”Nyombayire argued that the global outcry over the crisis is selective and driven by geopolitical interests rather than genuine concern for stability in the region.She alleged that the international community continues to view Rwandan lives as “expendable,” a stance she claims has persisted for three decades.“The message is clear: the decision made 30 years ago—that the lives of Rwandans are expendable in the face of geopolitical interests—still stands today,” she stated.President Kagame’s Press Secretary also accused the Congolese leadership of exploiting the situation for political and personal gain while benefiting from the support of foreign powers.She further accused Kinshasa of employing both genocidaires and European mercenaries while shifting global attention away from the root causes of instability.“That is why the leadership of DRC is enjoying the perks of sharing the same interests as their masters: talk crazy, recruit genocidaires and European mercenaries to fight your wars, sit back, relax, and let the international community bury the real issue,” she said.Nyombayire claimed that international resolutions and statements on the conflict are designed to maintain the status quo, benefiting powerful interests while ignoring the real issues on the ground.Additionally, Nyombayire faulted the international community of misrepresenting the situation for economic and political gain.“The gaslighting is deliberate because the truth is bad for business. It turns out that in this equation, the citizens of either country don’t matter, and in the end, their goal is not, in fact, a path to peace,” she said.Her statement comes at a time when the international community has continued to out more pressure stepping up sanctions on Kigali accusing it of backing the M23 rebels—a claim Rwanda has repeatedly denied.The UK and the US are among the countries that have slapped Kigali with sanctions over its alleged involvement in the conflict that has displaced hundreds of thousands and left thousands dead.