According to a UN experts’ report seen by media, around 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are fighting alongside the M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo. The report indicates that Kigali has “de facto control” over the rebels’ operations.
Since late 2021, the M23 (March 23 Movement) rebellion has dominated North Kivu province, capturing significant territories and establishing a parallel regime. Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of supporting the Tutsi-led M23, a claim Kigali has not confirmed.
The UN Security Council-commissioned report asserts that the Rwandan army’s control and direction of M23 operations make Rwanda “liable for the actions of M23.” The Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) interventions in Nyiragongo, Rutshuru, and Masisi territories have been crucial to M23’s territorial gains between January and March 2024.
Researchers estimated that by April, the number of Rwandan troops was on par with or exceeded the approximately 3,000 M23 soldiers.
The report includes authenticated photographs, drone footage, video recordings, testimony, and intelligence confirming RDF’s systematic border incursions. The evidence shows armed men in uniform using artillery, armored vehicles, and radar and anti-aircraft missile systems.
The report also highlights the recruitment of children as young as 12 from nearly all Rwandan refugee camps. These children were sent to training camps in rebel zones under the supervision of Rwandan soldiers and M23 combatants.
Recruits aged 15 and older received combat training and were sent to the frontlines. The recruitment of minors is often carried out by intelligence officers who use false promises of remuneration or employment, and those who resisted were taken by force.