The diplomatic chessboard in Africa just shifted as Russia and Ukraine locked horns in a fresh round of accusations. On July 10, during a high-stakes visit to Bujumbura, Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, alleged without evidence that Ukrainian operatives were actively supporting the M23 rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The claim, made alongside Burundi’s foreign minister Édouard Bizimana, surfaced after meetings with Burundi’s president Évariste Ndayishimiye, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the African Union.

The M23, a UN-sanctioned armed faction, has seized control of vast territories in North Kivu and South Kivu since capturing Goma in January 2025. While UN expert reports highlight the group’s supply lines linked to the Rwandan Defense Forces, Lavrov’s statement introduced a new layer of controversy by implicating Ukrainian nationals. No concrete proof was provided, leaving analysts scrambling to separate fact from geopolitical maneuvering.

Ukraine swiftly dismissed the accusation through its foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, labeling the claims as baseless disinformation. In a counter-strike, Kiev accused Moscow of violating international sanctions by arming militant groups and recruiting fighters from African nations to fight in Ukraine. Tykhyi suggested Russia’s motive was to undermine American-led mediation efforts in the Great Lakes region.

Shadows from the Sahel: a pattern of distrust

The accusation in Congo isn’t an isolated incident. Earlier clashes in the Sahel have left a trail of unverified claims and diplomatic fallout. In late July 2024, a convoy of Wagner Group mercenaries and Malian soldiers was ambushed in northern Mali by Tuareg rebels and the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM). The attackers claimed dozens of casualties on both sides. Days later, Ukraine’s military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov asserted that the assailants had received “all necessary intelligence” from Ukrainian sources. Kiev later backtracked, failing to ease tensions with Bamako, Niamey, and Ouagadougou. By August 2024, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso had severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine, with Bamako escalating the matter to the UN Security Council.

Sudan’s unanswered questions

The Sudan conflict, now in its second year, has further muddied the waters. Late in 2023, reports emerged about a covert Ukrainian unit codenamed “Timur,” operating alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Though Kiev neither confirmed nor denied the allegations, unverified videos surfaced in January 2024 showing drone strikes attributed to this unit targeting alleged Russian mercenaries and local allies. By October 2025, Sudanese authorities reported killing foreign fighters, including Colombians and Ukrainians, who had joined the RSF in the battle for El Fasher.

These incidents cast a long shadow over Ukraine’s credibility in the RDC dispute. In Mali, a Ukrainian official initially took credit for the ambush before retracting the statement. In Sudan, ambiguity persists, with no resolution in sight. As for the M23, no Ukrainian source—official or unofficial—has yet substantiated Lavrov’s claim. The Congolese dossier remains uncorroborated, while Lavrov’s African tour continues ahead of the third Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for October 28–29 in Moscow.