The quarterly document, prepared by specialists monitoring conflict in eastern Congo, asserts that Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) elements have been involved in M23 operations against the FDLR armed group.

The UN experts also report that during fighting in eastern Congo, some M23 fighters engaged in actions that harmed civilians.

Those alleged violations include arbitrary arrests, detentions and abuses of rights, which have forced many civilians to flee their homes.

Jeune Afrique, which has reviewed parts of the report, says a large number of civilian houses were destroyed particularly those belonging to people suspected of links with the FDLR actions attributed to M23 and to forces said to have come from Rwanda.

The report further states that between 6,000 and 7,000 RDF soldiers may have been deployed in North and South Kivu, including two brigades and ammunition supplies.

Kigali and M23 have repeatedly denied any cooperation and say such accusations are baseless. But the UN experts continue to cite evidence of coordinated activity between the two sides, especially during the offensive that led to the capture of Goma in January.

The document also notes that although M23 claims its objective is to challenge President Félix Tshisekedi’s government, UN monitors recorded numerous incidents of human-rights abuses by the group between April and October.

The report concludes that the Congolese government also faces scrutiny, saying Kinshasa’s forces have continued to collaborate with the FDLR despite the Washington agreement that demanded the militia’s dismantling.