The UN Group of Experts report S/2026/466 presents eastern DRC as a conflict shaped by military occupation, rebel administration, mineral exploitation, civilian suffering and failed diplomacy. It says AFC/M23, with sustained support from the Rwanda Defence Force, expanded control in North and South Kivu and was responsible for the largest share of human rights and humanitarian law violations among armed actors.
1. RDF Military Operations in Eastern DRC
The report estimates Rwanda’s military presence in eastern DRC at 14,000–18,000 RDF troops: around 8,000–10,000 in South Kivu and 6,000–8,000 in North Kivu. It says RDF forces operated across several frontlines with drones, electronic warfare systems, special forces and advanced equipment.
In South Kivu, the report says Rwanda deployed over 8,000 troops during the Uvira offensive, including special forces, BM21-type rocket launchers, GPS-guided mortars, kamikaze drones and jamming systems. Uvira was captured on 10 December 2025, days after the Washington Agreement was signed.
2. Rwanda’s Support and Command of M23
The report does not describe Rwanda as a distant supporter. It says RDF forces held forward positions, opened operational corridors for M23, supervised M23 combat units and integrated RDF personnel into mixed battalions with M23 fighters. It also says some RDF troops wore M23 uniforms to avoid detection.
The command structure is also named. The report identifies James Kabarebe as a key liaison with AFC/M23 leadership, while Jean-Paul Nyirabutama handled operational communication channels. It says RDF deployments were coordinated through a chain linking senior leadership in Kigali to M23 commanders on the ground.
3. War Crimes & Human Rights Allegations
The humanitarian picture is severe. By March 2026, the report says 3.4 million people were internally displaced across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, while more than 60% of the population in those provinces lived in extreme poverty.
The report also says conflict-related sexual violence and child recruitment reached unprecedented levels. It identifies AFC/M23 as the leading perpetrator of UN-verified conflict-related sexual violence cases, while children were affected by recruitment, sexual violence and school disruption.
JUSTICE & CRIME
Rwanda–M23 Files: Inside UN Report S/2026/466 on Eastern DRC
Jul 2, 2026
Jul 2, 2026
6 min read
Published
Updated:
The UN Group of Experts report S/2026/466 presents eastern DRC as a conflict shaped by military occupation, rebel administration, mineral exploitation, civilian suffering and failed diplomacy. It says AFC/M23, with sustained support from the Rwanda Defence Force, expanded control in North and South Kivu and was responsible for the largest share of human rights and humanitarian law violations among armed actors.
1. RDF Military Operations in Eastern DRC
The report estimates Rwanda’s military presence in eastern DRC at 14,000–18,000 RDF troops: around 8,000–10,000 in South Kivu and 6,000–8,000 in North Kivu. It says RDF forces operated across several frontlines with drones, electronic warfare systems, special forces and advanced equipment.
In South Kivu, the report says Rwanda deployed over 8,000 troops during the Uvira offensive, including special forces, BM21-type rocket launchers, GPS-guided mortars, kamikaze drones and jamming systems. Uvira was captured on 10 December 2025, days after the Washington Agreement was signed.
2. Rwanda’s Support and Command of M23
The report does not describe Rwanda as a distant supporter. It says RDF forces held forward positions, opened operational corridors for M23, supervised M23 combat units and integrated RDF personnel into mixed battalions with M23 fighters. It also says some RDF troops wore M23 uniforms to avoid detection.
The command structure is also named. The report identifies James Kabarebe as a key liaison with AFC/M23 leadership, while Jean-Paul Nyirabutama handled operational communication channels. It says RDF deployments were coordinated through a chain linking senior leadership in Kigali to M23 commanders on the ground.
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3. War Crimes & Human Rights Allegations
The humanitarian picture is severe. By March 2026, the report says 3.4 million people were internally displaced across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, while more than 60% of the population in those provinces lived in extreme poverty.
The report also says conflict-related sexual violence and child recruitment reached unprecedented levels. It identifies AFC/M23 as the leading perpetrator of UN-verified conflict-related sexual violence cases, while children were affected by recruitment, sexual violence and school disruption.
4. Illegal Mining & Resource Exploitation
The mineral section is one of the strongest parts of the report. Around Rubaya, the report says coltan production in AFC/M23-controlled areas exceeded previous estimates of about 120 tons per month. M23 taxed minerals at the point of commercialization: $4 per kg for coltan and $2 per kg for cassiterite.
The report says minerals from Rubaya and other Masisi sites were smuggled into Rwanda through controlled transport networks. It also says Rwanda’s cassiterite exports rose 58% in 2025, from 4,859 tons to 7,700 tons, without evidence of a matching rise in domestic production.
5. Occupation of Congolese Territory
AFC/M23 did not only capture territory. The report says it built a parallel administration in places under its control, including Goma, Bukavu and Rubaya. It created tax systems, controlled revenue services and extended authority over public utilities such as SNEL and REGIDESO.
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It also mentions alternative financial and insurance systems, including Accès Finance S.A. and Imperial Assur, showing how rebel control moved beyond military occupation into economic governance.
6. Recruitment, Training & Armed Networks
The report estimates AFC/M23 strength at around 30,000 elements, including core M23 fighters, recruits mobilized since 2021, former FARDC, police, Wazalendo elements and local defence forces. It says AFC/M23 continued forced and voluntary recruitment, including minors.
It also connects wider regional networks to the conflict. RED-Tabara and FNL are cited as fighting alongside AFC/M23-linked forces in South Kivu, while RED-Tabara is described as having long-standing ties with Rwanda and recruitment links in refugee camps in Rwanda.
7. International Sanctions & Diplomacy
The report highlights U.S. sanctions imposed in March 2026 on the RDF and senior Rwandan officers over direct operational support to M23. Named figures include Vincent Nyakarundi, Mubarakh Muganga, Ruki Karusisi and Stanislas Gashugi.
According to the report, the U.S. Treasury assessed that M23 offensives would not have been possible without RDF support and complicity, including troop deployments, advanced military capabilities, training and support to recruitment efforts.
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8. Peace Agreements & Ceasefire Violations
The Washington Agreement was signed on 4 December 2025, but the report says RDF and AFC/M23 launched a coordinated offensive in South Kivu in the days around the signing, taking Uvira on 10 December 2025.
Later withdrawals did not amount to full disengagement, according to the report. RDF and AFC/M23 movements were described as tactical repositioning, with redeployments and reinforcements to other strategic areas.
9. Key Individuals and Decision Makers
The report names or references several key figures: Paul Kagame, James Kabarebe, Jean-Paul Nyirabutama, Vincent Nyakarundi, Eugene Nkubito, Vincent Gatama, Stanislas Gashugi, Corneille Nangaa, Bertrand Bisimwa, Sultani Makenga, Bernard Byamungu and Joseph Kabila.
It says Rwanda continued to dictate which territories AFC/M23 should seize, hold or withdraw from, reflecting centralized control and hierarchical subordination of M23.
10. Maps, Timelines & Evidence Archive
The strongest timeline begins with the Washington Agreement on 4 December 2025, the capture of Uvira on 10 December, the withdrawal from Uvira on 18 January 2026, U.S. sanctions in March 2026, and continued fighting and redeployments into April 2026.
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