Following the UN report of August 4 that Rwanda had “provided troop reinforcements to the M23 for specific operations to seize strategic areas”, another UN expert report, which will be published in the coming days and which has been consulted by some international media, has revealed that there is “a direct intervention of the Rwandan defence forces on the territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo”, accusing Rwanda of supporting and providing arms to the M23 rebel group.
Indeed, the United Nations claims to have evidence of “direct involvement” of the Rwandan defence forces in the DRC, providing “arms, ammunition and uniforms” to the M23 group in the context of military operations in the east of the country.
Among the evidence put forward by these UN experts, there are photos and videos of M23 fighters wearing new military equipment and receiving ammunition at points controlled by this group on the borders with Rwanda and Uganda.
The report also pointed the finger at Uganda for its links to the M23, saying that Kampala had “allowed these rebels to move freely across its border with the DRC”.
These findings coincide with France’s strong condemnation on Tuesday of Rwanda’s support for M23.