Some 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are fighting alongside the M23 in east DR Congo, as reported by a UN experts report seen by AFP Monday. The report noted that Kigali has “de facto control” of the rebels’ operations. The North Kivu province has been in the grip of the M23 (March 23 Movement) rebellion since the end of 2021, with the group seizing swathes of territory in the region. Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of backing the Tutsi-led M23 rebel group, something Kigali is yet to confirm. The report commissioned by the UN Security Council says the Rwandan army’s “de facto control and direction over M23 operations” renders the country “liable for the actions of M23.”
Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) military interventions and operations in the Nyiragongo, Rutshuru, and Masisi territories have been critical to the M23’s territorial expansion achieved between January and March 2024. The report’s researchers estimated that at the time of writing in April, the number of Rwandan troops were “matching if not surpassing” the number of M23 soldiers, thought to be around 3,000. Authenticated photographs, drone footage, and video recordings confirm RDF’s systematic border incursions.
Children as young as 12 have been recruited from refugee camps in Rwanda to be sent to training camps in the rebel zone under the supervision of Rwandan soldiers and M23 combatants. Those aged 15 and above were combat-trained and sent to the frontlines to fight. Recruitment of minors in Rwanda is generally carried out by intelligence officers through false promises of remuneration or employment, and those who do not consent are taken forcefully.
