The Democratic Republic of Congo’s military accuses Rwanda of deceiving by dressing prisoners in military attire and passing them off as rebel fighters captured in connection with the Rwandan genocide. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo claimed to have apprehended members from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia established by Hutu extremists involved in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda. However, DR Congo soldiers dismissed this claim, labelling a video allegedly showing the handover of FDLR fighters at a border crossing as “fabricated.” M23 fighters have occupied regions in eastern DR Congo, displacing approximately 500,000 individuals, exacerbating an already severe humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations. The Congolese army asserted that Rwanda had employed captured, former FDLR prisoners, dressing them in fresh military uniforms to deceive the public into believing they were freshly captured in Goma. They alleged that Rwanda is using this tactic to justify its invasion of parts of DRC’s territory. Rwanda had earlier denied supporting the M23, but also maintained that due to the presence of FDLR forces in eastern Congo, they have a right to intervene militarily. UN experts estimated that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan troops are currently in eastern Congo. Additionally, UN experts reported last year that the Congolese military had been enlisting several armed groups, including the FDLR, as proxies in battles against the M23. The 1994 Rwandan genocide resulted in the deaths of up to 800,000 people, primarily Tutsis. The Hutu militia involved in the killings later fled to what is now DR Congo, with some establishing the FDLR. President Kagame of Rwanda, who previously led the rebel Tutsi force that halted the genocide, views this militia as an existential threat. On Thursday, gunfire and explosions erupted during a rally held by rebel leaders in Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern DR Congo. M23 rebels captured Bukavu from government forces last month following their swift advancement in the region. The rally, earlier addressed by Corneille Nangaa, the leader of an alliance of rebel groups including the M23, was accused by the rebels to be instigated by President Tshisekedi’s government. In response, Tshisekedi blamed the violent act on a “foreign army” operating in eastern DR Congo. Both the African Union and the UN have appealed for a ceasefire and for the rebels to relinquish control of the territories they now hold.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70e64yj0nzo