UN: 7,000 Rwandan Troops Still in Congo After Peace Deal

KINSHASA, Dec 7, 2025: Just three days after the signing of the much-publicized Washington Peace Accord between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, a shocking new report from UN experts has surfaced, exposing ongoing war crimes committed by Rwanda's army and its proxy militia, the M23.

The report, an independent biannual evaluation mandated by the UN Security Council and seen by AFP, confirms that Rwandan troops and the M23 have engaged in summary executions, arbitrary arrests, and forced mass displacements in eastern Congo, particularly in North and South Kivu provinces.

“The violence is systematic, deliberate, and ongoing,” the experts conclude.

Rwanda Implicated

Despite repeated denials from Kigali, the UN team affirms that the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) directly participated in military operations alongside the M23 rebel group. These operations targeted the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), but also resulted in atrocities against civilians suspected of sympathizing with the FDLR, particularly ethnic Hutus.

The report says homes were systematically burned and entire communities forcibly displaced. It estimates that 6,000 to 7,000 Rwandan troops, including two brigades and two special forces battalions, are still operating inside Congolese territory, in direct violation of Congolese sovereignty and UN Resolution 2773.

M23: Principal Human Rights Violator

Between April and October 2025, the UN attributes:

• 45% of all recorded summary executions in eastern DRC to the M23.

• The use of forced recruitment, especially among youth, in all areas under M23 control.

• The destruction of homes, schools, and the displacement of thousands of families.

Peace Deal or Political Cover?

The timing of the report is particularly damning. On December 4, under U.S. mediation, Presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame signed the Washington Peace Accord, a deal meant to end Rwanda’s military presence and bring stability to the Kivu provinces. But the UN’s revelations show that Rwanda never paused its operations.

The report further notes that while the DRC government has committed to neutralizing the FDLR under the peace accord.

What This Means

This is not the first time Rwanda has been implicated in Congolese bloodshed. Still, this time, the evidence comes just days after a high-profile agreement, raising serious questions about Kagame’s intentions and Washington’s leverage.

The question many Congolese are now asking:

Did Rwanda sign the Washington Peace Accord in bad faith, as a diplomatic smokescreen while it continued its war crimes?

The UN report is expected to be made public in the coming days. But for the people of eastern Congo, the atrocities are not in a report; they are lived realities.