Authorities in Kinshasa said Tuesday 25, March that First Lady Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi was safe after what was initially described as an attempted break-in at her hotel by suspected Rwandan security agents during her official visit to the United States.

Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said officials were working with U.S. authorities to establish what happened.

“We are in contact with the American authorities and will get back to you as soon as we have more details. I want to reassure the public: the First Lady is doing well,” he said.

Early reports suggested that unidentified individuals attempted to access the hotel where Nyakeru was staying. It remained unclear whether she was directly targeted or whether the incident was part of a broader security lapse.

However, a separate account from the Rwandan side paints a far less dramatic picture, rejecting claims of any attempted break-in.

According to a statement released by the Embassy of Rwanda to US, the incident involved an unarmed member of a Rwandan VIP security detail who encountered Congolese security personnel in a hotel hallway accessible to all guests. The individual was briefly prevented from accessing an elevator by members of the Congolese delegation, an action Rwanda described as “inappropriate,” but one that was quickly resolved without escalation.

Rwandan officials further alleged that their delegation later faced harassment and was filmed by unknown individuals while checking out of the hotel, prompting them to relocate. They rejected claims of any attempted break-in as “gross misrepresentation.”

The contrasting accounts have added confusion to what appears to have been a brief but tense encounter between two delegations staying at the same hotel.

The incident comes as Nyakeru is in Washington at the invitation of Melania Trump, taking part in engagements linked to the “Fostering the Future Together Coalition,” an initiative focused on humanitarian and social issues.

Before the incident, she had held discussions with Melanne Verveer of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, focusing on the plight of women and girls in conflict-affected regions of eastern Congo.

“Our discussions focused on the situation of women and girls… particularly in conflict zones, where sexual violence remains a major concern,” Nyakeru said in a statement shared from Washington.

She warned that “as long as women’s bodies are used as a weapon of war, peace will remain out of reach,” reaffirming her advocacy on protection, accountability and women’s role in peacebuilding.

The episode unfolds against the backdrop of longstanding tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly over insecurity in eastern Congo, where Kinshasa has repeatedly accused Kigali of backing armed groups, an allegation Rwanda denies.

While U.S. authorities have not publicly commented on the Washington incident, diplomatic sources say security around the First Lady has been reinforced as a precaution.