The Democratic Republic of Congo’s army has denied claims that 20 fighters linked to the Rwandan genocide were captured on its territory, calling a video of their handover to Rwanda “faked.”
The M23 armed group in eastern DRC had claimed to have captured fighters from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia founded by ethnic Hutus who took part in the 1994 genocide.
The Congolese army chiefs of staff stated that the video was “a faked incident in poor taste orchestrated with the sole aim of discrediting our army” and accused Rwanda of trying to justify its invasion of parts of DRC territory.
They also alleged that Rwanda took old FDLR detainees, dressed them in new military fatigues, and passed them off as newly captured fighters.
The DRC government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, a claim Rwanda denies.
The conflict in eastern DRC has raised fears of a wider regional war, with significant displacement and humanitarian concerns.
Analysts warn that continued instability risks deepening the regional conflict.
