Following a United Nations report accusing the Rwandan army of interfering in eastern Congo, the Rwandan authorities denied what they called “false claims” and stressed their “right to defend their territory”.

“Rwanda has a legitimate and sovereign right to defend its territory and its citizens, and not just wait for a catastrophe,” said government spokeswoman Yolanda McCullough.

A report commissioned by experts from the United Nations revealed that “the Rwandan army has directly invaded the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has been supporting the armed groups since November 2021.”

The experts pointed out that “Kigali sent reinforcements of soldiers to the M23 movement for specific operations, especially when its goal was to control cities and strategic areas.”

M23 is short for the March 23 Movement, a former Tutsi-dominated rebel movement that was defeated in 2013 and took up arms again late last year to demand the implementation of the agreement signed with Kinshasa. Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the uprising, which Rwanda denies.