DR Congo government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya told CNN Monday that Rwanda’s military presence in his country was well documented, saying, “Kagame is the only voice denying this.”
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has told CNN he doesn’t know if his country’s troops are in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where fighting between the M23 armed group and Congolese soldiers has killed more than 900 people and injured thousands in recent days.
Much of the international community believes that Rwanda backs the M23 rebels, who claimed to capture the city of Goma in eastern Congo last week.
UN experts believe that an estimated 3,000 - 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are supervising and supporting M23 fighters in the east of DR Congo, outnumbering the rebel group’s forces in the country.
In an exclusive interview with CNN on Monday, Kagame was asked if there were any Rwandan troops inside DR Congo.
“I don’t know,” Kagame said, despite the fact that he is commander-in-chief of the Rwandan Defence Force.
“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%,” he continued.
At least 900 bodies have been recovered from the streets of Goma since violence erupted, according to the United Nations’ latest figures.
“As of January 31, at least 900 bodies have been recovered from the streets,” said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in a report Monday, citing the World Health Organization.
Kagame’s stance was reiterated by the rebel group, whose spokesperson Victor Tesongo told CNN that it “receives no support from Rwanda,” describing the assumption as “a manipulation of public opinion to disqualify us.”
Tesongo claimed that Rwanda was more concerned about “its fight against the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) which are allied to the Congolese government which uses them against the security of Rwanda.”
DR Congo government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya told CNN Monday that Rwanda’s military presence in his country was well documented, saying, “Kagame is the only voice denying this.”
“In the past 10 days, the UN Group of Experts, the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, President João Lourenço (of Angola), and SADC (the Southern African Development Community) have all confirmed Rwanda’s military presence in eastern DR Congo.
Kagame is the only voice denying this,” Muyaya said in his response to Kagame’s CNN interview, adding that “the overwhelming international consensus leaves no doubt.”
CNN’s Larry Madowo told Kagame that comparisons have been made between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who backed local separatist forces to try and invade Donbas, an eastern region of Ukraine, in 2014.
“There will be so many stories,” Kagame said of the comparison, adding that he can’t “stop people from saying whatever they want to say.”
The M23 rebel group has said it has seized control of the city of Goma in eastern DRC, and is reportedly advancing south.
“I may be called anything - what can I do about it?” he asked. “We have to do what we have to do… we have to make sure we survive any storm that blows across our country.”
Kagame called the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), one of the largest foreign armed groups operating in the DRC, an “existential threat” to Rwanda.
He alleged that the group was fully integrated into the Congolese armed forces, suggesting that other governments in the region also support the rebel group.
