Rwanda's President does not know whether there are troops in the Congo

Rwanda's President does not know whether there are troops in the Congo

The Rwandian President Paul Kagame told CNN that he was not sure whether his country's troops are stationed in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRK), where fighting between the M23 group and Congolese soldiers in the past few days is more than Happened and thousands.

Rwanda's role in the conflict

Much of the international community assumes that Rwanda supports the M23 rebels who claim that they have taken the city of Goma in the east last week. Un-experts estimate that between 3000 and 4,000 Rwandic soldiers are who supervise and support the fighters of the M23 - and thus exceed the armed forces of the rebel group in the country.

Kagames statements in the interview

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Kagame was asked on Monday whether Rwandic troops were present in the DRK. "I don't know," replied Kagame, although he is the commander -in -chief of the Rwandian defense forces. "There are many things that I don't know. But if you ask me if there is a problem in the Congo that affects the Rwanda? And that Rwanda would do everything to protect itself? Then I would say 100 % yes," he added.

comparison with other conflicts

The moderator Madowo made comparisons to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who supported local separatists to destabilize Donbas, a region in the east of Ukraine. Kagame reacted to this comparison with the words: "There will be many stories", and added that he cannot "prevent people from saying what they want."

existential threats and self -protection

kagame described the democratic forces for the liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), one of the largest foreign armed groups that operate in the DRK, as an “existential threat” for Rwanda. He claimed that the group was fully integrated into the Congolese armed forces and indicated that other governments in the region also support the rebel group.

Rwanda will protect itself

Kagame repeatedly emphasized that Rwanda “will do everything” to protect yourself without giving detailed information about what this means in concrete terms. “Nobody”, according to the President, including the United Nations or the International Community, “will do it for us”. When asked again whether he will send troops to the DRK, Kagame said that Rwanda will "do everything to protect himself" and asked Madowo to read "everything you want to read from what I tell you."

Reporting of CNNS Nimi Princewill carried this article.