Rwanda has rejected a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) accusing the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) of supporting the M23 rebel group, describing the allegations as false and biased while arguing that the report overlooks the role of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s military and allied armed groups, including the FDLR.
In a statement issued on June 11, the Government of Rwanda said the report contains allegations that RDF was involved in recruiting fighters for M23, carrying out arbitrary detentions, torture and the recruitment of child soldiers, claims Kigali strongly denies.
The government also criticized HRW for allegedly conflating RDF and M23, maintaining that actions attributed to M23 should not automatically be assigned to Rwanda’s military.
The criticism follows the publication of a 78-page HRW report titled Death Was Everywhere: Arbitrary Detention, Killings, and Forced Recruitment by M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force, released on June 10.
According to Rwanda, the report places significant emphasis on Rwanda and M23 while failing to adequately scrutinize the actions of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and armed groups allied to the Congolese government.
Kigali pointed to sections of the report that acknowledge cooperation between FARDC and armed groups fighting M23, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia founded by individuals linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
The report also notes that Congolese authorities provided weapons, financial support and military coordination to Wazalendo militias and other armed groups, including the FDLR.
In addition, HRW documented serious abuses committed by Congolese forces and their allies, including killings, sexual violence, arbitrary detention and looting, particularly against displaced civilians around Goma.
Despite these findings, Rwanda argued that the report does not provide a sufficiently detailed investigation into the role of FARDC, the FDLR, Wazalendo groups and their leadership. The government also questioned why the report does not recommend sanctions against any Congolese or Wazalendo officials.
Rwanda further accused HRW of downplaying the significance of cooperation between FARDC, the FDLR, Wazalendo militias and foreign mercenaries while placing disproportionate focus on M23 and advancing what Kigali described as unsubstantiated allegations against RDF.
The government also challenged the report’s methodology, arguing that it prominently features allegations against Rwanda in its title and key findings while acknowledging uncertainties and evidentiary gaps elsewhere in the document.
According to Kigali, this reflects a broader pattern in which serious accusations receive prominent attention while limitations in the evidence are given less visibility.
The dispute highlights ongoing disagreements over responsibility for the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where fighting involving M23 rebels, Congolese forces and allied militias continues to fuel insecurity and humanitarian concerns across the region.
