By John Ikani
Rwanda has rejected “solid evidence” presented by UN Security Council experts that Rwandan troops have been fighting alongside the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and providing it with weapons and support.
Kigali described the report as unproven and a “tactic to distract from real issues.”
The Reuters news agency revealed on Thursday that the confidential report by UN experts found evidence that M23 fighters and Rwandan troops jointly attacked a large Congolese army base in Rumangabo, in eastern North-Kivu province on 25 May and backed the group with weapons and support to capture swathes of territory in recent months.
Rwanda has repeatedly denied allegations it supports the M23 Rebels. Kigali in turn accuses Kinshasa of shelling its territory.
Tensions between the two countries escalated this year following a resurgence of activity by the rebel group.
Earlier this year, the Congolese government suspended all RwandAir flights from the country over Rwanda’s alleged support of the rebels.
More about the M23 rebels
The M23 insurgency stems from the long fallout of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The group was formed in 2012 claiming to defend the interests of Congolese Tutsis, the ethnic group shared by Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, against Hutu militias.
Since May, the M23 has waged its most sustained offensive in years, killing dozens and displacing tens of thousands of people. By July, it controlled a territory almost three times as large as it did in March, the U.N. group said.
The M23’s resurgence has inflamed regional tensions and spurred deadly protests against the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, which civilians accuse of failing to protect them.
Rwanda and neighbouring Uganda have a long history of military intervention inside Congo. The two countries invaded in 1996, and again in 1998, claiming they were defending themselves against local militia groups.
A target of the M23 and Rwandan operations in Congo has been the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Hutu militia which Rwanda accuses Congo of using as a proxy. Congo’s government has denied this.
Some members of Congo’s army have supported and fought alongside a coalition of armed groups including the FDLR, the U.N. report said.
Read more on what we know about the conflict in Dr congo here.
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