Rwanda accuses DR Congo of supporting an armed group on its soil

What the report says

Rwanda has repeated its allegation that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is backing the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu armed group operating in eastern Congo, and says that threat justifies Rwanda’s continued role in the conflict. Speaking at a news conference in Kigali, President Paul Kagame said Rwanda will take any steps it deems necessary to protect its security and argued that Congolese authorities are arming and integrating FDLR members into their forces. Al Jazeera reported that Kigali says its claims are supported by testimony from former FDLR fighters and by visits from foreign and UN missions to a demobilisation centre in northern Rwanda.

Kinshasa rejects Rwanda’s position and instead accuses Kigali of supporting the M23 armed movement in eastern DRC and sending troops into Congolese territory. Rwanda denies those accusations. The dispute comes amid longstanding tensions between the two neighbours, with each side blaming the other for fueling insecurity in the east.

The remarks were made as regional and international efforts to stabilize the conflict continued. Al Jazeera noted that ceasefire verification work was advancing under the Doha peace process, following earlier diplomatic tracks involving Qatar, the United States and other partners. The article also said a verification delegation had arrived in South Kivu with logistical support from MONUSCO. The developments matter because the FDLR issue remains one of the main obstacles cited by Kigali in talks over security, sovereignty and the broader peace process in eastern Congo.