KINSHASA: Uganda again rejected UN allegations that it is backing M23 rebels in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) after Kinshasa summoned the Ugandan charge d’affaires over the issue.
Kinshasa summoned asked Uganda to address allegations of support to M23 rebels in the eastern provinces of North Kivu.
The move comes after a recent report commissioned by the UN Security Council accused Ugandan military officials of providing “active support” to the M23 rebel group, which has seized significant territories in North Kivu since late 2021.
Uganda’s charge d’affaires, Matata Twaha Magara, denied the allegations during talks with Congolese deputy foreign minister Gracia Yamba Kazadi on Friday. Magara reiterated Uganda’s stance of cooperation within the East African Community to combat destabilizing forces in the region.
“Our position has been clear that in the East African community, we need to work together to flush all the negative forces that are disturbing us,” Magara stated.
He referenced joint military operations between Congolese and Ugandan troops against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) that has been active in eastern DRC for decades, causing widespread violence and displacement.
Regarding the allegations of support to M23, Magara indicated that Uganda is awaiting official communication from the UN before responding in detail.
“The UN should give first the concerned countries the report so that they can respond to those accusations,” Magara emphasized.
The UN report, published on July 8, claimed to have evidence of Ugandan military intelligence providing support to M23 rebels, alongside allegations of Rwandan involvement in the conflict. The report further stated that Rwandan soldiers were fighting alongside M23 rebels and that Kigali exerted significant influence over the group’s operations, a claim Rwanda has denied.
In response to the UN allegations, Uganda’s deputy defence spokesman Deo Akiiki dismissed the accusations as “laughable, baseless, and illogical” in an interview with AFP.
