PAUL KAGAME IS 'UNAWARE' OF 4,000 RWANDAN TROOPS IN DRC

Despite multiple reports of Rwandan troops' presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s territory, Rwandan President Paul Kagame continues to deny these allegations. The forces are said to be collaborating with the M23 militia, who are armed and trained by Rwanda.

Evidence has indicated that the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) have significant control over M23 operations, with the UN reporting in June 2024 and in December 2024 that 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan troops are stationed in eastern DRC, just west of the Rwanda-Congo border.

Further, in the last two weeks alone, UN experts, Security Council and secretary-general have all confirmed Rwandan troop presence in the DRC.

Yet, in this 3 February interview with CNN International correspondent Larry Madowo (@larrymadowo on X), President Paul Kagame feigns ignorance, saying 'I don't know', in response to the former’s question about Rwandan forces in the Congo, adding that he does not know many other things.

Years of impunity and lack of accountability to Rwanda's role in exacerbating the Western-backed mineral war in the DRC have emboldened the East African head of state, allowing him to get away with giving nonchalant responses to a situation that has klled, rped and displaced millions of Congolese, whose exploitation continues in the interest of global economic expansion, with Rwanda as a leading gateway for the illicit trade of DRC's minerals.

Video credit: @cnn on X

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgyzl1mlkvo

https://docs.un.org/en/S/2024/432

https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/violence-democratic-republic-congo

https://africanarguments.org/2012/07/kagame-and-congo-how-long-can-he-deny-rwandan-involvement-in-the-east-by-richard-dowden 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/01/29/congo-kagame-rwanda-m23-goma/8e31e318-de24-11ef-8889-d5c3924edafd_story.html