When the U.S. helped broker a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) earlier this year, it was hailed as a major step forward in a long-running conflict. However, since the initial success there has been skepticism as to whether the two countries will uphold the peace or agree on bilateral mineral cooperation guaranteed by the U.S.
It is becoming clear that a deal will not be reached until the root causes of the conflict, many of which emanate from Rwanda, have been resolved. These include poor governance, a lack of justice and respect for human rights, and a lack of social and economic inclusion. But suggesting this in Rwanda can be dangerous.
My family knows this from first-hand experience. My mother, Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, is an opposition leader in Rwanda. She was arrested on 19 June 2025, two weeks after publishing this opinion in the international media, which highlighted the need for inclusive dialogue between the Rwandan government and its citizens, including refugees in the DRC, exiles, and opposition groups. My mother made the compelling case that a reformed Rwanda would contribute to making eastern DRC a peaceful region where Rwanda, the DRC, and the U.S. could all engage in mutually beneficial mineral trade.
In response to this call for peaceful dialogue, government officials repeatedly and publicly accused her of “genocide ideology” on social media, with President Paul Kagame referring to her as a “genocidaire” and predicting that she “would not have a good ending.” Her arrest in June on charges of “forming a criminal organization” and “inciting public disorder” have no basis in law and are a clear example of political retribution.
Since my mother’s arrest, she has been denied contact with her family and her international lawyers. The Rwanda Bar Association has refused to allow her Kenyan attorney to defend her. She has been denied bail and is being held separately from most other inmates. More than 120 days have passed with no fair process in sight.
This is not my mother’s first experience being arbitrarily detained in Rwanda. In 2010, she was arrested shortly after declaring her intention to challenge President Kagame in the presidential election. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison following a sham trial that was widely condemned as politically motivated, and which the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights judged to have violated her rights to freedom of expression. She served eight years in prison, much of which was spent in solitary confinement. She was surprisingly released in 2018 by presidential order but with a major caveat – she was forbidden to leave Rwanda to visit her children, grandchildren and her seriously ill husband. My 10-year-old daughter, an American citizen who lives in Pennsylvania with her mother, keeps asking me when her grandmother will come to visit her. I wish I had an answer for her.
It is a nightmare to see my mother unjustly imprisoned once again. However, my family has taken hope from the international community's reaction to her recent arrest:
- On June 24, Human Rights Watch condemned and described her arrest as the most recent example of the dangers of political opposition in Rwanda.
- On July 17, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion wrote to the Rwandan authorities to note that Victoire’s arrest appeared to be “in direct retribution for her political activities as an opposition leader.”
- On September 10, the European Parliament passed a resolution strongly condemning her arrest and calling for her immediate release.
Now, the United States, one of Rwanda’s most vital allies, could send a powerful message by joining this call for her release, either through Congress or the Administration.
The Rwandan government claims to want to make peace with its neighbors, and certainly it stands to gain respect and credibility with America and the rest of the international community by doing so. However, sustainable peace cannot be guaranteed by a government that silences all dissent and endangers the lives of its political opponents.
If the United States truly wants to bring peace to the African Great Lakes region, it should begin by using its influence to urge Rwanda to reform, first by immediately and unconditionally releasing my mother and all other political prisoners. This would be an important first step toward making Rwanda a true democracy that could be relied on to preserve peace in the region, rather than create violent conflict.
Rémy Amahirwa is the son of Rwandan dissident and opposition leader Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza.
