In a statement issued on Monday, August 11, 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation accused the OHCHR of making 'sensational' claims without evidence, calling into question the agency's credibility and methodology.
'OHCHR alleges, without any evidence, corroboration, or reported motives, that the Rwanda Defence Force 'aided' in the killing of 319 civilians on farms in eastern DRC. The gratuitous inclusion of the RDF in these allegations is unacceptable and brings into question the credibility of OHCHR and its methodology,' the statement read in part.
Kigali criticised the agency for failing to help de-escalate a conflict that has persisted for more than three decades, warning that such allegations risk undermining ongoing peace processes in the DRC.
The UN, in its reports, has accused the RDF of supporting the AFC/M23 rebel offensive in eastern DRC, claims the government has dismissed as false. Rwanda insists that its defensive measures along the border with the DRC are aimed at neutralising security threats posed by the FDLR rebel group, formed by perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
In the recent report, the UN report also accused the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) rebel group of killing between 169 and 319 civilians in several localities within Rutshuru Territory between July 9 and 21, 2025. The group has denied the allegations, calling them unsubstantiated and politically motivated.
In a statement released on Thursday night, AFC/M23 questioned the credibility of the report, noting that many of the cited areas fall within Virunga National Park â€" a protected zone where farming is prohibited. The group argued that alleged massacres could not have occurred in 'nonexistent farmlands,' further casting doubt on the claims.
AFC/M23 also challenged the OHCHR's reliance on reports from armed groups and local organisations with no presence in the affected areas, including Wazalendo, FDLR, and the Rutshuru Territory Youth Council. The rebels called for an independent investigation and invited UN offices to participate.
The group further accused the UN of selectively ignoring documented atrocities committed by Congolese government forces and their allies, including massacres of Banyamulenge and Hema communities, drone strikes on civilian areas, and repression of dissent.
'AFC/M23 strongly condemns this biased report, which propagates misinformation and undermines peace efforts. We hereby demand the immediate retraction of Report BCNUDH/OD/138/2025 and a public apology, as well as an independent investigation into the origins of these false allegations and internal accountability at the UNJHRO,' said rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka.
The group has urged the UN to address bias and apply equal scrutiny to all parties involved in rights violations.
AFC/M23 currently controls large swathes of territory in eastern DRC and is engaged in Qatar-led talks with the Kinshasa government aimed at ending the protracted conflict, which the rebels attribute to the marginalisation and persecution of Kinyarwanda-speaking communities.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-rejects-un-claims-linking-rdf-to-civilian-killings-in-drc
