A confidential report by the United Nations Group of Experts, circulated to Security Council members on 2 July, concludes that up to 6,000 Rwandan soldiers operated inside the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between January and May 2025 in support of the AFC/M23 insurgency. The investigators say elite Rwandan units helped the rebels seize the eastern cities of Goma and Bukavu and provided logistical, intelligence and artillery support from a headquarters in the Rwandan border town of Gisenyi. Named in the document are senior Rwandan officials, including Co-operation Minister James Kabarebe and Defence Forces Chief of Staff Vincent Nyakarundi. The report argues that Kigali’s objective extends beyond neutralising Hutu militias to controlling resource-rich territory. It details how the Rwandan company Boss Mining Solution bought coltan smuggled from areas now under rebel rule, with 195 tonnes of the ore crossing into Rwanda in the last week of March alone. Earlier UN findings put monthly rebel revenues from coltan taxes at about US$800,000. Kigali and the company deny any wrongdoing, but the experts warn that the scale of the operation could expose Rwanda to additional international sanctions for violating Congolese sovereignty. Diplomatic efforts to stem the conflict are advancing on parallel tracks. The DRC and Rwanda last week signed a U.S.-brokered framework for troop withdrawals, while Qatar is mediating separate talks in Doha with the M23 leadership. Rebel political spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka said the movement remains committed to the Doha process and seeks a cease-fire, but insists no draft agreement is ready for signature. Amnesty International criticised the Kinshasa–Kigali accord for failing to address war crimes and civilian abuses committed in the east. On the ground, M23 continues to administer Goma and surrounding areas, where local sources report mass identity checks and arrests as the rebels tighten control. Human-rights groups say the combination of foreign troop deployments, mineral exploitation and stalled negotiations risks deepening one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts.