UN experts say Rwanda supported rebels in Congo and smuggled minerals at ‘unprecedented levels’

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Rwanda provided “critical” support to the M23 rebels’ recent offensive in eastern Congo, which helped secure Kigali’s access to minerals and fertile ground, according to a confidential United Nations report seen by The Associated Press.

The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is the most prominent armed group in the conflict in Eastern Congo, which has been in and out of crises for decades. The rebels earlier this year advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma and Bukavu in a major escalation of the conflict.