A United Nations Group of Experts said it has "solid evidence" that Rwandan troops have been fighting alongside the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and providing it with weapons and support, APA reports citing Reuters.
The findings were contained in a confidential report seen by Reuters on Thursday.
Rwanda has previously denied accusations by Congo's government that it supports the M23 and that it has sent troops into the country. The M23 has denied it receives Rwandan support.
The U.N. group "obtained solid evidence of the presence of, and military operations conducted by, RDF (Rwandan Defence Force) members in Rutshuru territory between November 2021 and July 2022," the report said.
RDF members conducted joint attacks with M23 fighters against Congo's army and Congolese armed groups, and provided the rebels with weapons, ammunition and uniforms, it said.
Yolande Makolo, Rwanda's government spokesperson, said in a statement the government wouldn't comment on an "unpublished and unvalidated report." She said an earlier report by the experts' group in June "contained none of these false allegations."
Congo's government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said he welcomed the work of the U.N. group.
"The truth always triumphs in the end. We hope that conclusions will be drawn quickly to put an end to Rwanda's interference and bring back lasting peace," he wrote on Twitter.
The M23 insurgency stems from the long fallout from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The group was formed in 2012 claiming to defend the interests of Congolese Tutsis, the ethnic group shared by Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, against Hutu militias.
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