The Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has accused Rwanda of dressing prisoners in military uniforms to try to convey them as recently captured rebels linked to the Rwandan genocide.
It occurs after the M23 rebels supported by Rwanda to the east of the Congo said that they had captured the fighters of the democratic forces for the liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia founded by Hutus ethnicity who participated in the 1994 genocide against Rwanda’s Tutsis.
But Dr. Congo’s army said that a video allegedly showing the delivery of 20 FDLR rebels in a border crossing was « counterfeit ».
M23 fighters have been advancing through Dr. Eastern Congo since January, taking Bukavu and rubber, the largest city in the region.
The fighting has forced about 500,000 people from their homes, making a terrible humanitarian crisis worse, according to the UN.
In his statement, the Congolese army said that the Rwandan video was a « false incident in a bad taste orchestrated with the sole purpose of discrediting our army. »
He said that Rwanda had taken former prisoners of the FDLR and dressed them with new military uniforms to claim that they had recently been captured in rubber.
« This is part of the Rwanda strategy to justify the invasion of parts of the RDC territory, » he added.
Rwanda has used the presence of FDLR forces in the east of the Congo to justify its support for the M23.
The country previously denied the support of the M23, but also emphasized that due to the presence of the FDLR to the east of the Congo, he has the right to take military actions east of the Congo.
The United Nations experts have previously estimated that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandas troops are in the east of the Congo.
The United Nations experts also reported last year that the Congolese military had been using several armed groups, including the FDLR, as representatives in the fight against the M23.
Rwanda genocide took place for 100 days in 1994.
The Hutu ethnic militia involved killing up to 800,000 people, the vast majority of the Tutsi community, fled to what is now Dr. Congo, some forming the FDLR.
Kagame, who headed the rebellious Tutsi force that ended with the slaughter more than three decades ago, sees this « genocidal militia » as an existential threat.
On Thursday, Fire fires and explosions went through a rally Celebrated by rebel leaders in Bukavu, the second largest city in the east. The videos showed chaotic scenes with bodies on the streets after people flee.
Rebels m23 took Bukavu from government forces last month After its fast breakthrough through the region.
The rally was previously led by Corneille Nangaa, the head of an alliance of rebel groups that includes the M23.
The rebels accused the government of the President of Dr. Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, to orchestrate the attack. However, Tshisekedi blamed her from « a foreign army » who said it was working in the east.
The African union and the United Nations have called for a ceasefire and the rebels removed from the areas they now control.
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