Rwanda's defence minister is "commanding" a deadly rebellion in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to newly leaked documents from a UN report.

The UN and other bodies have long accused the Rwandan regime of fomenting conflict in the DRC, a charge Rwandan officials strenuously deny. In June, fresh evidence emerged that Rwanda was supporting a new breakaway militia called M23, which has shattered the fragile peace in eastern Congo, and is accused of multiple atrocities against civilians in violence which has left thousands displaced.

Despite years of mounting evidence of Rwanda's complicity in such crimes, western donors have been reluctant to outwardly criticise the Rwandan regime or withhold the vast sums of aid they give (about half of the Rwandan budget is aid money). Part of this stems from guilt for western inaction during the tragic Rwandan genocide of the early 1990s. Rwanda has executed a very successful diplomatic and PR offensive in western countries, and has some powerful backers and friends, including Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, the latter of whose foundation does a lot of work in Rwanda.

The tide may now be turning: the EU froze aid in response to the shocking evidence presented by the UN this summer, the US has cut back its support, and Britain temporarily suspended aid earlier this year in the wake of multiple human rights allegations, although it has now controversially reinstated the aid.

But many feel this is too little, too late: By being so soft on Rwanda for so long, partly out of guilt for a tragedy they failed to prevent, western powers have only allowed another tragedy to unfold.

Learn more: See how the fallout from Rwanda's genocide continues to decimate eastern Congo today.

Sources: BBC, Guardian, Avaaz, Reuters