The United Nations Group of Experts on the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) published a new alarming report on Wednesday, July 2, pointing to Rwanda’s direct involvement in the armed conflict shaking the eastern provinces of the country.

According to the document viewed by Radio France Internationale (RFI), up to 6,000 Rwandan soldiers may have been deployed on Congolese territory between January and May 2025. Various senior Rwandan military officials are named as having actively participated in these operations.

This report comes at a delicate diplomatic time, less than a week after the signing of a peace agreement between Kinshasa and Kigali, sponsored by the United States in Washington. It casts a shadow over reconciliation efforts, exposing facts that, if confirmed, may threaten the ongoing process.

Presented last May to the United Nations Security Council, the report details the Rwandan military presence in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu. It claims that Kigali continues to support the AFC/M23 armed coalition, particularly during the offensives that led to the capture of the cities of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year.

The UN experts indicate that in January and February 2025, approximately 6,000 Rwandan soldiers, including special forces elements, were engaged on Congolese soil. The document also notes that Rwanda supposedly recruited former demobilized fighters from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) to carry out intelligence and reconnaissance missions.

The publication of this report reignites tensions between the two countries, as civilian populations continue to suffer the consequences of a deadly and complex conflict. Kinshasa has not yet officially responded, but voices are already rising within Congolese civil society demanding clarifications, and even international sanctions.