(Reuters) – Over 1,000 Burundian troops have been secretly sent to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since October, disguised as Congolese troops and participating in the fight against M23 rebels, according to an unpublished U.N. report obtained by Reuters.
Based on security and intelligence sources, as well as sources close to the Congolese army command, the report from the U.N. Group of Experts in Congo revealed that the troops were transported from Burundi to eastern Congo via Congolese army planes beginning on Sept. 21.
The Burundian and Congolese governments, as well as the Congolese army, did not respond immediately when Reuters requested a comment.
The report was shared with U.N. Security Council members on Dec. 15 and was seen by Reuters on Saturday. It is set to be published in January.
It provides insight into Congo’s security strategy in the east beyond the already known presence of U.N. peacekeepers and Congolese troops, who were previously supported by an East African Community (EAC) regional force until earlier in December.
According to the report, the Burundian government denied to the U.N. experts that any Burundian troops were deployed outside the EAC arrangement. Additionally, it stated that Congolese military authorities claimed to be unaware of the collaboration with Burundian troops outlined in the report.
Citing its sources, the report indicated that the Burundian troops were deployed independently of the EAC arrangement, working alongside Congolese troops and allied armed groups in the fight against M23 in North Kivu province.
Since the M23 offensive began in 2022, the security and humanitarian crisis in the region has escalated, resulting in approximately one million people being displaced from their homes.
Congo, Western powers, and the U.N. expert group assert that the Tutsi-led rebel group is receiving support from neighboring Rwanda. Rwanda denies any involvement, but the accusations have sparked a major diplomatic crisis in the region.
(Writing by Alessandra Prentice, Editing by William Maclean)
