Tuesday, February 4, 2025 - Rwandan president, Paul Kagame has refused to answer when asked if his troops are currently operating in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
UN experts believe that an estimated 3,000 - 4,000 Rwandan
soldiers are supervising and supporting M23 fighters in the east of the DRC,
outnumbering the rebel group’s forces, who claimed to capture the city of Goma
in eastern Congo last week.
In an exclusive interview with CNN on Monday, February 3,
Kagame was asked if there were any Rwandan troops inside the DRC.
“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.
At least 900 bodies have been recovered from the streets of
Goma since violence erupted, according to the United Nations’ latest figures.
“As of 31 January, at least
900 bodies have been recovered from the streets,” said the United Nations
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in a report Monday, citing
the World Health Organization.
Kagame’s stance was reiterated by the rebel group, whose
spokesperson Victor Tesongo said that it “receives no support from Rwanda,”
describing the assumption as “a manipulation of public opinion to disqualify
us.”
Tesongo claimed that Rwanda was more concerned about “its
fight against the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) which
are allied to the Congolese government which uses them against the security of
Rwanda.”
DRC communications minister, Patrick Muyaya, told CNN that
Rwanda’s military presence in his country was well documented, saying, “Kagame
is the only voice denying this.”
“In the past 10 days, the UN
Group of Experts, the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, President
João Lourenço (of Angola), and SADC (the Southern African Development
Community) have all confirmed Rwanda’s military presence in eastern DRC. Kagame
is the only voice denying this,” Muyaya said in his response to Kagame’s CNN
interview, adding that “the overwhelming international consensus leaves no
doubt.”
The interviewer, Larry Madowo told Kagame that comparisons
have been made between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who backed
local separatist forces to try and invade Donbas, an eastern region of Ukraine,
in 2014.
“There will be so many
stories,” Kagame said of the comparison, adding that he can’t “stop people from
saying whatever they want to say.”
“I may be called anything -
what can I do about it?” he asked. “We have to do what we have to do… we have
to make sure we survive any storm that blows across our country.”
Kagame called the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of
Rwanda (FDLR), one of the largest foreign armed groups operating in the DRC, an
“existential threat” to Rwanda.
He alleged that the group was fully integrated into the
Congolese armed forces, suggesting that other governments in the region also
support the rebel group.
Kagame repeatedly insisted that Rwanda would do “whatever it
takes” to protect itself, without giving much information about what this
entails.
“Nobody,” including the
United Nations or the international community “is going to do it for us,” the
leader said.
When asked again if he was sending troops to the DRC, Kagame
said that Rwanda will do “anything to protect itself,” telling Madowo to “read
whatever you want to read from what I’m telling you.”
The conflict between Rwanda and the DRC, which share a
border, has since exploded following the M23’s advance into Goma.
Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said as of
Monday, 16 people have been killed in Rwanda “during the shelling from the
fighting in Goma.”
Last week, DRC leader Felix Tshisekedi vowed “a vigorous and
coordinated response” against M23, describing the group as Rwanda’s “puppet.”
WATCH: President #Kagame responds to CNN on #Rwanda-DR #Congo tensions: ‘Rwanda will do anything to protect itself—100%.” pic.twitter.com/S1x6SBVkau
— The New Times (Rwanda) (@NewTimesRwanda) February 3, 2025
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