DRC: Reaction of the Congolese authorities following the publication of the UN report
In a public statement released on Thursday, July 11, 2024, the Congolese government responded to an official UN report that implicates Rwanda in supporting the M23 rebel group in committing atrocities in North Kivu.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s government has urged the international community to impose severe political, economic, and judicial sanctions on Rwanda and its leaders.
The report provides overwhelming and irrefutable evidence, showing nearly 4,000 Rwandan soldiers involved—significantly outnumbering the M23 rebels.
“The Government of the Republic calls upon all civilized nations, dedicated to peace and justice, and the entire international community to implement stringent political, economic, and judicial measures against Rwanda and its leaders, whose troops operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo are also targeting UN peacekeepers and MONUSCO infrastructure, acts that constitute war crimes.”
The report also highlights that the instability caused by the conflict has led to the plundering of mineral and forest resources, benefiting Rwanda the most.
Additionally, UN experts confirmed that members of Uganda’s intelligence services have actively supported the M23, despite the collaboration between the Congolese and Ugandan armies against another rebel group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), linked to the jihadist organization ISIS in northern North Kivu.
The UN experts’ report asserts that Ugandan officials facilitated the unrestricted transit of M23 troops and the Rwandan army through Uganda.
The document also notes that M23 leaders have been seen in Uganda multiple times this year.
Kinshasa has consistently accused Rwanda, whose support for M23 has been documented by various international organizations and UN experts.
Until now, Uganda’s involvement had not been publicly acknowledged, although several political figures within the country have repeatedly accused Kampala of backing the M23.
Jean-Robert Tchandy
