Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, said it is questionable for Hariana to claim that she represents African voices in the United States, while she has traveled to Kinshasa twice in one year, met with President Félix Tshisekedi, and even received a gift from him.
The journalist has been seen several times at the White House, where she asked President Donald Trump questions related to Rwanda and the DRC.
In her questions, she appeared to take sides with the DRC, echoing narratives and misinformation that are frequently spread by the Congolese authorities.
For instance, she repeated false claims such as asking, “When will Rwandan troops withdraw from the DRC?” despite the well-known fact that Rwanda has no troops in Congo. She also alleged that Rwanda supports the AFC/M23 coalition, claims that have repeatedly been refuted, with Rwanda explaining that it provides no support whatsoever to that group, which is composed of Congolese nationals.
The journalist, who is originally from Angola, was recently seen again at the White House holding two microphones, including one from the DRC’s state radio and television (RTNC). She said she wanted to ask Trump about alleged violations of the Washington agreements between Rwanda and the DRC, but claimed she was unable to ask her question.
In doing so, she once again repeated accusations blaming Rwanda for violating the agreements, despite the fact that it is the DRC government that has repeatedly violated them by refusing to distance itself from the FDLR militia and by continuing attacks against certain Congolese civilians.
Commenting on the journalist and her statements, Minister Nduhungirehe said it was unfortunate that she claims to speak for Africans while her actions clearly contradict that mission.
He said: “She pretends to speak for “the African people” in Washington. Yet, she travelled to Kinshasa twice in a year, where she met President Tshisekedi, she accepted a gift from him before cameras, and broadcasted her interview with President Ndayishimiye only on DRC public television (RTNC).”
Nduhungirehe also pointed out that the journalist recently toured the U.S. Congress, asking biased questions that go against journalistic ethics and unfairly target Rwanda.
“And today, we are now discovering that she was holding a RTNC microphone at the White House, yet she had never revealed that she was on Kinshasa payroll.” he added.
Some regional analysts have described the journalist as having accepted to act as a tool of President Tshisekedi. Journalist Andrew Mwenda, for example, said that she is damaging the reputation of journalism, arguing that she is not practicing journalism at all, but rather acting as a political figure with vested interests in discrediting Rwanda.
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