Rwanda regrets UN decision to publish Congo report
KINSHASA (Reuters) - Rwanda said on Wednesday that it was 'deeply regrettable' that the UN Security Council has decided to publish a document alleging Rwanda was backing armed groups in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Rwanda's Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said in a statement that the government would provide factual evidence to show that the charges of Rwandan involvement are false and that the document was biased.
"This is a one-sided preliminary document based on partial findings and is still subject to verification."
The evidence contained in an addendum to a recent report by U.N. experts is the strongest yet to indicate high-level support within President Paul Kagame's government for the so-called M23 rebellion, whose stand-off with Congolese forces has caused hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in eastern Congo.
Rwanda has vigorously denied backing M23, a group of several hundred soldiers led by Bosco Ntaganda, a renegade army general with past links to Rwanda, who is also wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes.
The addendum by the Group of Experts - an independent panel that monitors violations of the Congo sanctions regime - is due to be published in the coming days according to diplomats, but Reuters has obtained a copy, which points at Rwandan support for several armed groups in eastern Congo, including M23.
"Throughout the Group's investigations, it has systematically gathered testimonies... which affirm the direct involvement in the support to M23 from senior levels of the Rwandan government," the 43-page report stated.
