President Paul Kagame distanced Rwanda from the ongoing conflict in the DRC, asserting that the crisis was instigated by the DRC itself, not Rwanda.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has told CNN he doesn’t know if his country’s troops are in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where fighting between the M23 armed group and Congolese soldiers has killed more than 700 people and injured thousands in recent days.

The Congolese government, alongside U.N. officials and Western powers, including the United States, has accused neighbouring Rwanda of exacerbating the conflict by deploying thousands of troops and heavy weaponry in support of M23.

M23 rebels, with support from Rwandan troops, marched into Goma earlier this week and are now advancing south toward Bukavu.

The Rwanda-backed rebels who captured a major city in eastern Congo have sought to reassure its residents about their safety