FARDC Presents Seven Rwandan Soldiers to the Press in Kinshasa

Kinshasa, January 3, 2026 - The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) on Saturday presented to the press seven Rwandan soldiers alongside eight civilians from neighboring countries, whom they say were captured during military operations in eastern Congo. According to Lieutenant Colonel Mak Hazukay, Deputy Commander of the FARDC’s Command and Information Service, the arrest of these individuals provides clear evidence of the presence of the Rwandan army on Congolese territory. He strongly criticized what he described as Kigali’s continued and deliberate violation of the Washington Agreement and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2773. Lieutenant Colonel Mak Hazukay specified that the suspects were apprehended far from the border areas, during operations conducted in North Kivu and South Kivu, undermining claims that Rwanda’s actions are defensive in nature. “Since the beginning of this war, the DRC has consistently maintained, with supporting evidence, that it is under attack by Rwanda,” he stated. “The FARDC presented seven Rwandan soldiers and eight civilians, nationals of countries in the sub-region, captured during military operations in North and South Kivu. The current occupation of Uvira, located far from the borders, proves that the justification invoked by Kigali is a blatant lie,” he added. The FARDC official further accused the Kigali regime of manipulating nationals from countries in the sub-region, as well as collaborating with other armed groups, including RED Tabala, in an effort to regionalize the armed conflict. The presentation of these captives comes amid a renewed security escalation in eastern DRC, as AFC/M23 rebels have launched an offensive to retake control of Katoyi, the main town of the Katoyi sector in Masisi territory, North Kivu.