Former Rwanda Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Kayumba Nyamwasa, has made a bold claim, asserting that Rwanda is backing the M23 rebels currently fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). “It’s an open secret. I don’t know why people even want to hide that,” he said in a recent statement, further fueling ongoing accusations against Kigali.
The M23 rebellion, which has intensified in eastern DRC, has led to severe humanitarian consequences, with thousands displaced as fighting rages between the rebels and Congolese forces. The DRC and various international organizations have long accused Rwanda of supporting M23, an allegation Kigali has consistently denied. However, Nyamwasa’s statement adds weight to these suspicions, given his former high-ranking position in the Rwandan military.
Nyamwasa, who fled Rwanda and has been living in exile in South Africa since 2010, has been a vocal critic of President Paul Kagame’s government. Once a close ally of Kagame, he fell out with the administration and survived an assassination attempt in Johannesburg, which he claimed was orchestrated by Rwandan authorities. His latest remarks are likely to escalate tensions between Kigali and Kinshasa, which have already experienced a series of diplomatic disputes over the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.
Despite Rwanda’s repeated denials, UN reports have suggested that Kigali provides logistical and military support to M23, a group largely composed of Congolese Tutsi fighters. The rebels claim they are fighting to protect their communities from persecution, but their resurgence has led to accusations of war crimes, including attacks on civilians.
Nyamwasa’s statement may increase international pressure on Rwanda, with the African Union, the United Nations, and Western governments closely monitoring the situation. The DRC has called for stronger sanctions against Rwanda, urging the international community to take decisive action to curb external interference in its internal conflicts.
As fighting continues, the fate of thousands of displaced civilians hangs in the balance. Whether Nyamwasa’s claims will lead to further diplomatic fallout or increased scrutiny on Rwanda remains to be seen. However, his remarks have once again brought the shadowy connections between Kigali and M23 into the spotlight.
Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa (born 1962) is a Rwandan former Lieutenant General who served as the Chief of Staff of the Rwandan Army from 1998 to 2002. He was also the head of Rwandan intelligence during the same period and later served as Rwanda’s ambassador to India from 2004 to 2010. Since going into exile, he has been an opposition leader as part of the Rwanda National Congress.