GOMA, DR Congo – April 13 — Peter Fahrenholtz, a veteran German diplomat and former ambassador to Rwanda, has visited Goma, a strategic city in eastern DR Congo currently under the control of the M23/AFC rebel group. During his visit, Fahrenholtz met with North Kivu Deputy Governor Willy Manzi and other local officials to discuss the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis in the region.
In a statement posted on social platform X, Fahrenholtz, who served as Germany’s ambassador to Rwanda between 2012 and 2016, said the talks focused on the escalating violence and systematic targeting of the Tutsi population in eastern Congo.
“[Manzi] illustrated the ongoing genocidal actions against the Tutsi population in eastern DR Congo,” Fahrenholtz wrote, noting that these atrocities have been documented by the United Nations’ Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.
The deputy governor reportedly emphasized the goals of the M23 movement, which he said include halting genocidal violence, safeguarding civilians’ human rights, and restoring peace and security. Manzi also described the rebel group as an “inclusive and diverse Congolese movement,” comprising individuals from various ethnic backgrounds, including Hutu.
Fahrenholtz, who has also served in diplomatic roles in Bangladesh and Eritrea, has been an outspoken critic of the international community’s handling of the DR Congo crisis. He has previously questioned the European Union’s silence on reports of European mercenaries operating in the region and highlighted the Congolese government’s failure to address the root causes of the M23 rebellion.
He cited persistent issues such as ethnic division, hate ideology, and the long-standing persecution of Tutsi communities in eastern DR Congo as key drivers of the conflict.
In a sharp rebuke of EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, Fahrenholtz challenged a March 10 statement in which she accused Rwanda of backing the rebels. “Are M23 not DR Congo citizens? Were there not European mercenaries fighting against them in DR Congo? Who will protect ethnic minorities in eastern DR Congo?” he asked.
Fahrenholtz’s visit and comments come at a time of heightened tensions and growing international scrutiny over the complex conflict that has displaced hundreds of thousands and left communities in eastern DR Congo in a state of crisis.
