Kagame says he's unsure if there are any Rwandan troops in eastern DR Congo

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has claimed he is unsure whether his country's troops are present in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where fierce fighting between the M23 armed group and Congolese forces has left over 900 dead and thousands injured in recent days.

Kagame offered a cryptic response when questioned about the presence of Rwandan forces in DRC, stating simply, "I don't know."

Kagame, however, later acknowledged Rwanda's vested security interests in the area.

"There are many things I don't know. But if you want to ask me, is there a problem in Congo that concerns Rwanda and [if] Rwanda would do anything to protect itself, I'd say 100 per cent," he stated, underscoring Rwanda’s readiness to defend its national interests.

When asked whether tensions between the two nations could escalate into a full-scale war, Kagame downplayed the likelihood of such an outcome.

"I don't think anybody is interested in war. I don't even think President [Félix] Tshisekedi is interested in war himself, but he has been encouraged in that direction by people showing up to fight his wars," he remarked, seemingly attributing the escalating tensions to external influences.

Rwanda's coltan mines

On the contentious issue of mineral smuggling from the DRC, particularly allegations that Rwanda exports coltan — a critical mineral used in electronics manufacturing— despite lacking significant domestic reserves, Kagame firmly refuted the claims.

"We can show you where Rwanda mines coltan," he asserted, dismissing accusations of illicit mineral trade.

On allegations that Rwanda smuggles other minerals from eastern DRC, Kagame shifted focus to global actors, particularly Western nations.

"People who are benefiting from the minerals of Congo more than anybody else are South Africa and these other Europeans who are making noise about it," he stated, suggesting that international players hold greater responsibility for the region’s resource exploitation.

The response comes amid mounting accusations from Kinshasa, South Africa, Western nations, and the United Nations, all of whom assert that Kigali is actively backing the M23 rebels.

A Putin comparison?

In an interview, CNN's Larry Madowo confronted Kagame with comparisons between his actions in eastern DRC and Russian President Vladimir Putin's backing of separatist forces in Ukraine's Donbas region in 2014.

"There will be so many stories," Kagame responded.

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"I may be called anything — what can I do about it?" he asked. "We must take the necessary actions to ensure our survival during any upcoming storms in our country."

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts are underway to prevent further escalation.

A joint summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) has been called in an attempt to de-escalate the DRC crisis and find a political resolution.

This follows an agreement between the chairman of SADC, President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, and Kenyan President William Ruto, the EAC chairperson.

“President Samia Suluhu Hassan has graciously agreed to host the summit to deliberate on the situation in Eastern DRC," President Ruto said.

President Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda have confirmed their attendance at the summit, which will be preceded by a ministerial meeting on Friday before the heads of state convene on Saturday.

Others in attendance are President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia.