Rwandan President Paul Kagame has stated that he does not know whether Rwandan troops are operating in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where escalating clashes between the M23 rebel group and Congolese soldiers have led to over 900 deaths and thousands of injuries in recent days.
He revealed this during an exclusive interview with CNN. Many in the international community believe Rwanda supports the M23 rebels, who reportedly captured the city of Goma in eastern Congo last week.
The Congolese government, alongside U.N. officials and Western powers, including the United States, has accused neighbouring Rwanda of exacerbating the conflict by deploying thousands of troops and heavy weaponry in support of M23.
According to UN experts, an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are allegedly overseeing and assisting M23 fighters in eastern DRC, surpassing the rebel group’s numbers in the region.
What Kagame said:
When asked whether Rwandan troops were present inside the DRC Kagame stated.
“I don’t know,” Kagame said, despite the fact that he is commander-in-chief of the Rwandan Defence Force.
“There are many things I don’t know. But if you want to ask me, is there a problem in Congo that concerns Rwanda? And that Rwanda would do anything to protect itself? I’d say 100%,” he continued.
Kagame’s stance was reiterated by the rebel group, whose spokesperson Victor Tesongo told CNN that it “receives no support from Rwanda,” describing the assumption as “a manipulation of public opinion to disqualify us.”
However, DRC communications minister, Patrick Muyaya, told CNN Monday that Rwanda’s military presence in his country was well documented, saying, “Kagame is the only voice denying this.”
At least 900 bodies have been recovered from the streets of Goma since violence erupted, according to the latest figures from the United Nations.
“As of January 31, at least 900 bodies have been recovered from the streets,” the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated in a report on Monday, citing the World Health Organization (WHO).
