On July 12, during a Cabinet meeting led by President Félix Tshisekedi, Deputy Prime Minister for Defense Guy Kabongo accused M23 rebels of forcibly recruiting young people and receiving ongoing reinforcements of personnel and equipment from Rwanda and Uganda. This marked the first recent instance where the DRC government directly implicated Uganda in supporting the M23 rebels. While National Assembly Speaker Vital Kamerhe had previously labeled Uganda as one of Congo’s “aggressors,” the government had not officially supported his claims.

The allegations emerged shortly after a United Nations Group of Experts report implicated Uganda in the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Ugandan People’s Defence Forces promptly denied these accusations.

Military experts in the DRC suggest that the UN report does not introduce new information. Nicaise Kibel Bel, a military analyst, noted that Uganda has been involved in Congolese territory since the 1990s, often alongside Rwanda. However, he cautioned against escalating the conflict between the DRC and Uganda, emphasizing that such a confrontation would be unwise given the already complex and costly nature of the regional conflict.

Government Spokesman Patrick Muyaya expressed the DRC’s predicament, stating, “We need to reassess the situation regarding Uganda and our approach.” He highlighted the paradox of Ugandan soldiers dying alongside Congolese forces in operations against the ADF rebels in Ituri and North Kivu, while Uganda is also accused of supporting the M23 rebels.

Since November 30, 2021, the Ugandan army has been engaged in a joint operation with the Congolese army to combat the ADF rebels, who have been attacking both the DRC and Uganda. Ugandan army spokesman Brigadier-General Félix Kulayigye refuted the UN experts’ report, asserting that Uganda does not serve as a base for the M23 rebels but hosts refugees in line with UN policies.