Tonight, we bring you a major development out of Central Africa. A confidential United Nations report, obtained by Reuters, alleges that Rwanda has exercised direct command and control over M23 rebel forces during their recent campaign in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to a team of UN experts, Rwanda’s military has not only trained M23 fighters but also supplied advanced weaponry, including high-tech systems capable of neutralizing air targets—giving the rebel group a significant edge over Congo’s embattled army.
The UN report, submitted in May to the Security Council’s sanctions committee, is expected to be published publicly in the coming days. Its findings are explosive: not only do they detail Rwanda’s alleged involvement in the M23’s sweeping offensive, but they also suggest that Rwanda’s primary goal is political and territorial gain, rather than defense against the FDLR—an armed group tied to the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
The M23, or March 23 Movement, has seized control of major cities in eastern Congo, including Goma and Bukavu. While Rwanda continues to deny involvement, the UN report outlines how M23 rebel commanders were trained at Rwanda’s Gabiro Training Centre, as well as at military sites in Nasho and Gako.
The experts estimate that as many as 6,000 Rwandan troops were active in North and South Kivu provinces at the height of the M23 advance. And as recently as April, over a thousand troops remained embedded in rebel-held areas—with thousands more massed along the border, prepared for deployment.
Perhaps most troubling, the report links Rwanda to a suspected missile strike in January that killed a UN peacekeeper and injured four others. The attack was reportedly launched from a Rwandan military position, a flagrant violation of the UN arms embargo, according to the experts.
In a parallel effort to resolve the escalating crisis, Rwanda and Congo signed a peace agreement in Washington, with mediation supported by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump personally met with the foreign ministers of both nations and issued a stern warning: any violation of the deal would trigger “very severe penalties—financial and otherwise.”
Meanwhile, Qatar is also hosting peace talks, involving Congolese government representatives and M23 leaders, aimed at preventing the conflict from erupting into a full-blown regional war.
Still, the findings of the UN report are damning. It alleges that Rwanda has overseen strategic decision-making for the M23, including when to advance, hold, or withdraw from territory—further evidence, according to the report, of Rwanda’s hierarchical command over the rebel force.
Congo, too, comes under scrutiny. The report accuses the Congolese government of supporting pro-government militias and collaborating with the FDLR, offering logistical and financial backing in violation of international sanctions.
Neither the Rwandan nor Congolese governments have responded to the allegations as of this broadcast.
With vast reserves of tantalum, cobalt, copper, gold, and lithium at stake, the eyes of the world remain fixed on eastern Congo. The unfolding situation continues to threaten regional stability, global supply chains—and the lives of millions.
Reporting by Ehud Jones
