Rwandan President Paul Kagame has sparked controversy after telling CNN that he does not know whether his country’s troops are inside the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), despite being the Commander-in-Chief.
Naijaonpoint understands that this remark comes amid intensifying clashes in eastern DRC between the M23 armed group and Congolese forces, a conflict that has left at least 900 people dead and thousands injured in recent days.
Many members of the international community, including the United Nations, believe that Rwanda is backing the M23 rebels, who last week claimed to have captured the city of Goma in eastern Congo.
According to UN experts, an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are reportedly supervising and supporting M23 fighters inside the DRC, outnumbering the actual rebel group’s forces in the country.
In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Larry Madowo on Monday, Kagame was directly asked whether Rwandan troops were operating inside the DRC.
“I don’t know,” Kagame responded.
Pressed further, he did not outright deny the allegations but instead emphasized Rwanda’s right to self-defense.
“There are many things I don’t know. But if you want to ask me, is there a problem in Congo that concerns Rwanda? And that Rwanda would do anything to protect itself? I’d say 100%,” Kagame added.
Growing Humanitarian Crisis In Eastern Congo
The situation in eastern DRC has deteriorated rapidly, with at least 900 bodies recovered from the streets of Goma since violence escalated, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
“As of 31 January, at least 900 bodies have been recovered from the streets,” the UN reported, citing figures from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Thousands more have been injured, with humanitarian agencies warning of an impending displacement crisis as civilians flee the conflict.
During the CNN interview, Kagame was asked about comparisons being drawn between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, particularly regarding the allegations that Rwanda is backing separatist forces, similar to how Russia supported pro-Russian separatists in Donbas, Ukraine, in 2014.
Kagame, however, brushed off the comparison.
“There will be so many stories,” he said, adding, “I may be called anything – what can I do about it?”
“We have to do what we have to do… we have to make sure we survive any storm that blows across our country.”
Kagame also justified Rwanda’s interest in the DRC conflict, calling the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)—one of the largest foreign armed groups in the DRC—an “existential threat” to Rwanda.
He alleged that the FDLR had been fully integrated into the Congolese military, suggesting that other regional governments were also backing the rebel group.