According to a report released on Wednesday, UN experts revealed that around 3,000 to 4,000 Rwanda government forces are currently present in neighbouring eastern Congo, working in collaboration with the M23 rebel group, which has been gaining significant ground in the region.
The estimates of Rwandan troops’ involvement in supporting M23 were described as “conservative” by experts, who also characterized their systematic support and presence as sanctionable acts that violate Congo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a 293-page report to the UN Security Council, the panel of UN experts stated that Rwanda’s de facto control and direction over M23 operations also renders them liable for M23’s actions.
The UN experts stated that an estimated number of Rwandan troops in Congo had been stationed in three regions of eastern North Kivu—Nyiragongo, Rutshuru, and Masisi, adding that they were from the military’s 2nd and 3rd divisions, citing information from intelligence and security sources affiliated with M23 and the Rwandan army, as well as classified documents.
Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, along with U.S. and UN experts, have repeatedly accused Rwanda of providing military support to M23. Rwanda has refuted the allegation, but early this year, it acknowledged that it had deployed troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to protect its security, citing the massing of Congolese forces near the border.
Eastern Congo has been plagued with several years of violence from scores of armed groups who are fighting to have a share of the region’s vast mineral resources.
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