DR Congo accuses Rwandan army of supporting rebel attacks against its military bases

Members of the M23 armed group sit on a pickup truck during a patrol as women carrying fruits walk past a market, following the takeover of the city by the M23 movement in Bukavu on February 18, 2025.[AFP]

Two Rwandan soldiers were arrested and accused of supporting rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23) in attacks early Monday against military positions in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), said a spokesman of the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC).

Several FARDC positions have been attacked during incursions launched by M23 rebels since 3:00 a.m. local time in Rutshuru territory, north of the city of Goma, capital of North Kivu province.

At a press briefing, General Sylvain Ekenge, spokesman for the North Kivu governor, confirmed that two soldiers of the Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF) were arrested during the attacks, while accusing Rwanda of conspiring with M23 rebels.

"The M23, supported by the Rwandan Defense Forces, conducted incursions and attacked FARDC positions" in the Rutshuru territory, he said.

This is the third time since October 2021 that the FARDC has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 in these attacks against its positions in the Rutshuru territory, said the DRC media outlet Actualite.cd.

The M23 is a group of former rebels of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP). The name came from the March 23, 2009, agreement between the CNDP and the DRC government.

M23 leaders have accused the government of failing to respect that agreement.