Several thousand soldiers from Rwanda have fought side by side with the rebel movement M23 in the neighboring country of Congo-Kinshasa, according to a new UN report.
The Congolese government has long accused Rwanda of supporting M23, which has been denied from Kigali.
However, a new expert review, commissioned by the UN, concludes that as many as 3,000-4,000 Rwandan soldiers operated in Congo-Kinshasa under the control of the Rwandan army.
Their interventions in North Kivu were "decisive" for M23's "extensive territorial expansion between January and March" this year, according to the report.
The Tutsi-led rebel movement has since 2021 taken control of large areas in the war-torn eastern part of Congo-Kinshasa.
M23 is one of many armed groups operating in the area. Among the factors driving the violence is the quest for control over mines with valuable minerals used, among other things, in the production of smartphones and laptops.
