Rwanda’s Direct Role in Congo’s Conflict: 2025 UN Reports on DRC

In 2025, the conflict in eastern Congo reached an alarming tipping point, not just due to rebel gains, but because of direct and sustained military operations by the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF). While Rwanda continues to deny involvement, the latest UN Group of Experts Report on the DRC paints a stark picture involved Rwanda's and M23's war crimes. Rwanda is not just an enabler of violence in the Congo; it is an active combatant and benefactor of the war.

This investigation explores five pillars of Rwanda’s direct involvement, exposing the systemic violations of international law and their catastrophic impact on civilians and regional peace.

1. Illegal Deployment of Rwandan Troops

The RDF has engaged in systematic and repeated incursions into Congolese territory, not as a rogue actor, but under high-level state direction. The report provides damning evidence that between January and February 2025 alone, over 6,000 RDF troops were operating inside North and South Kivu, with reinforcements brought in from Rwanda to capture major cities like Goma and Bukavu

Far from covert operations, the RDF’s occupation involved high-tech warfare: airstrikes, armed drones, short-range air defense systems, and jamming of GPS systems, often disrupting humanitarian and civilian flights

These invasions violate Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and constitute what the UN calls “acts of aggression.” Rwanda’s assertion that it's defending itself from the FDLR is contradicted by the sheer scale and scope of these invasions, more about control than defense.

2. Command and Control Over M23 Rebels

The M23 rebel group, or AFC/M23 as currently structured, is not acting independently. Intercepted communications, verified interviews, and drone footage confirm that Rwandan generals are issuing direct orders to M23 battlefield units, including instructions on when to seize or withdraw from territory

Key Rwandan military figures involved in command operations include:

• a Sanctioned Gen. James Kabarebe – long-time M23 architect