Diplomatic clash erupts over Congo conflict
An East African diplomatic tour has escalated into a sharp rhetorical confrontation between Moscow and Kiev. On July 10, during a joint press conference with Burundian Foreign Minister Édouard Bizimana in Bujumbura, Russian counterpart Sergueï Lavrov alleged that Ukrainian nationals were aiding the M23 rebel movement in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, alongside Congolese forces and Burundian troops. The accusation, made without concrete evidence, was swiftly dismissed by Ukrainian officials the following day.
The M23, a UN-sanctioned armed faction, has maintained control over vast territories in North Kivu and South Kivu since capturing Goma in January 2025. While reports from UN experts have documented its resupply by Rwandan Defense Forces, Lavrov’s claim introduced a new dimension by implicating foreign actors from Ukraine. His remarks came after meetings with Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the African Union.
Kiev denies involvement amid rising suspicions
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi branded Lavrov’s allegations as baseless disinformation. He countered by accusing Russia of violating international sanctions through arms supplies to armed groups and recruiting African nationals to fight in Ukraine. Tykhyi suggested Moscow’s strategy aims to undermine American mediation efforts in the Great Lakes region, where diplomatic tensions have reached a boiling point.
Shadows of past controversies linger over Ukraine’s credibility
This exchange echoes a similar controversy from July 2024, when a convoy of Russian Wagner mercenaries and Malian soldiers fell into an ambush set by Tuareg rebels and the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) in northern Mali. Rebel factions claimed significant casualties on both sides. Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andriï Yusov initially asserted that his agency had provided critical intelligence to the attackers via a public broadcaster interview on July 29. Kiev later retracted the statement, failing to ease concerns in Bamako and Niamey. By August 2024, Mali and Niger had severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine, with Burkina Faso following suit. Bamako subsequently escalated the matter to the UN Security Council.
A pattern of unconfirmed claims in Sudan’s civil war
The pattern of unverified allegations resurfaced during Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict, which has pitted the national army against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. By late 2023, reports emerged of a Ukrainian special unit codenamed Timur, operating within Sudan, though Kiev neither confirmed nor denied its existence. In January 2024, videos allegedly depicting drone strikes by these forces targeted fighters identified as Russian mercenaries and their local allies. By October 2025, Sudanese military officials reported the deaths of foreign combatants, including Colombians and Ukrainians, fighting alongside the RSF in El-Fasher.
These unresolved incidents cast doubt on Ukraine’s rebuttal regarding the Congo conflict. In Mali, an official spokesperson initially claimed responsibility before retracting the statement. In Sudan, ambiguity persists without resolution. For the M23 dossier, no Ukrainian source—official or unofficial—has substantiated Lavrov’s claim. The Congolese situation remains undocumented, while Lavrov continues his diplomatic tour ahead of the third Russia-Africa Summit scheduled for October 28–29 in Moscow.
