Tensions in the Eastern DRC: UN Cites Rwanda’s Involvement in the AFC/M23 Conflict

A revelation that cannot be ignored has surfaced less than a week after Kinshasa and Kigali signed a peace deal in Washington.Following its submission to the UN Security Council in May, the paper was made public on Wednesday, July 2. It describes Rwanda’s military involvement in Congo and the assistance it gave to the AFC/M23 alliance, especially during the conquests of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year.

According to the UN experts who wrote the report, Kigali recruited former demobilised FDLR fighters to conduct intelligence and reconnaissance operations in Congolese territory, and in January and February 2025, about 6,000 Rwandan soldiers, including special forces members, were stationed in North and South Kivu.

According to the UN experts, between 1,000 and 1,500 Rwandan soldiers were still fighting in areas under AFC/M23 control as of the time their report was written, which was in May. While some of these troops returned to Rwanda following the capture of Goma, others were redirected towards Bukavu, always trying to keep Rwanda’s involvement in the conflict low-key.

Additionally, they claim that former Rwandan military leader James Kabarebe, who is currently the Minister of Regional Cooperation, was instrumental in planning and directing the Rwandan Defence Forces’ (RDF) operations in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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