Rwandan President Paul Kagame has stated that he does not know whether Rwandan troops are operating in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), despite being the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Kagame was asked about the presence of Rwandan soldiers in the DRC. His response was: “I don’t know. 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%.”
The conflict in eastern DRC has escalated in recent weeks, with fighting between Congolese soldiers and the M23 armed group leading to over 900 deaths and thousands of injuries. The international community has widely accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, who recently claimed to have seized control of Goma, a key city in eastern Congo.
UN experts estimate that as many as 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers may be aiding the M23 fighters, surpassing the number of rebels in the region.
Kagame’s comments come as the violence in Goma continues to intensify. According to the United Nations, at least 900 bodies have been recovered from the streets of Goma as of January 31.
Comparisons to Putin
During the interview, CNN’s Larry Madowo mentioned that some have drawn parallels between Kagame and Russian President Vladimir Putin, particularly regarding their support of separatist movements. In response, Kagame remarked, “There will be so many stories. I can’t stop people from saying whatever they want to say. I may be called anything – what can I do about it?”
He emphasized the importance of Rwanda’s survival, saying, “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 referred to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a large foreign armed group in the DRC, as an “existential threat” to Rwanda. He suggested that the FDLR is integrated into the Congolese military and implied that other regional governments may be supporting the group.
