Hundreds of Rwandan soldiers have reportedly been killed during clandestine operations in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), contradicting official denials from Kigali that its troops are involved in the conflict.
Multiple intelligence, military, and diplomatic sources confirm that a “very significant” number of soldiers from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) have perished while supporting M23 rebels in the DRC.
Satellite imagery of a military cemetery in Kigali suggests at least 600 graves have been dug since the M23, with RDF backing, resumed hostilities in the region three years ago.
Two high-ranking intelligence officials indicate that Rwanda’s actual losses could number in the “thousands,” though an exact figure remains elusive. A senior source further claims that some Rwandan soldiers killed in action were secretly buried in “mass graves” within the DRC when repatriation of their bodies was impossible.
“Not all soldiers that perished in DRC were able to be repatriated, especially in areas under a lot of fire,” the source revealed, adding that in some cases, families were given empty coffins when bodies could not be returned.
The mounting casualties have reportedly overwhelmed Rwanda’s military medical facilities. A new wing has been built at Kigali’s military hospital to accommodate the wounded, while its mortuary is said to be at full capacity.
Despite growing evidence, Rwanda has continued to deny any direct military involvement in the DRC conflict. The government has repeatedly dismissed claims that RDF forces have entered Congolese territory, let alone sustained casualties.
However, a recent report by UN experts concluded that the Rwandan army is in “de facto control” of the M23 rebels. The insurgent group, which last month seized Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, now controls a vast stretch of Congolese land nearly half the size of Rwanda itself.
The revelations of Rwanda’s military losses are expected to increase pressure on Kigali ahead of a crisis summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his DRC counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, are set to meet on Saturday. Diplomatic sources suggest that proof of Rwanda’s direct involvement in combat operations could have severe political repercussions for Kagame.
Rwandan Soldiers Families Speak Out
Reports from advocacy groups indicate that Rwandan families are struggling to receive information about their loved ones. Emmanuel Ngabo, head of ARC Urunana Nyarwanda France, a Rwandan diaspora group in France, claims that grieving relatives have shared accounts of large numbers of Rwandan troops being killed.
“There are so many bodies needing to be processed. There is such a queue of families waiting [for burial] that they are only allowed 30 minutes at the graveside.”
“The coffins are always closed, either because the soldier is so badly injured or burnt he is unrecognizable, or because there is nobody inside the box. We hear that privates are often buried where they fall in Congo: officers are brought back for burial in Kanombe [military cemetery in Kigali].”
Emmanuel Ngabo
Satellite images of the Kanombe military cemetery taken in August 2021 — before the M23 conflict escalated — and another from December 15, 2024, show a dramatic increase in grave sites.
One section of the cemetery, in the north, reveals about 100 new graves, effectively doubling the number in that area. In the south, approximately 500 additional graves have appeared. Many more are suspected to have been added since December, though cloud cover has obscured recent satellite imagery.
Last month saw a particularly deadly phase of the conflict, with a renewed offensive by M23 and RDF forces capturing Minova, Sake, and Goma. The United Nations estimates that the battle for Goma alone resulted in at least 2,900 deaths.
As international scrutiny mounts, pressure is increasing on Rwanda to acknowledge its role in the ongoing conflict. The upcoming summit in Tanzania may force Kigali to provide answers about its involvement and the heavy toll its military has suffered.
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