KIGALI, Feb 2 – The Rwandan government has dismissed allegations made by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), denying that its military, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), is involved in attacks against civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In response to a statement from the SADC Extraordinary Summit held on January 31, Kigali maintained that the RDF’s role is strictly defensive, aimed at securing Rwanda’s borders and protecting its citizens. The government accused SADC’s regional force, the Southern African Development Community Mission in DRC (SAMIDRC), of escalating the conflict by supporting Kinshasa’s military campaign against the M23 rebel group and its affiliated communities, many of whom have sought refuge in Rwanda and neighboring countries.
According to Rwanda, the DRC government has openly expressed hostility towards Kigali, with President Félix Tshisekedi allegedly making public statements about plans to overthrow the Rwandan government. Kigali also claimed that SAMIDRC forces, alongside Burundian troops, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and foreign mercenaries, are actively contributing to regional instability.
Rwanda argued that the presence of SAMIDRC in eastern DRC violates the sovereignty of the region’s local population and accused the force of targeting Congolese citizens rather than maintaining peace. Kigali further alleged that intelligence reports from Goma indicate coordinated attack plans involving foreign forces, with objectives extending beyond neutralizing the M23 to include possible offensives against Rwanda itself.
Despite tensions, Rwanda reiterated its support for a political resolution to the crisis and welcomed proposals for a joint summit between SADC and the East African Community (EAC) to address the ongoing conflict.
