It all started in April with a group of soldiers formerly under National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) — who had been integrated in the national forces under a March 23, 2009 agreement — mutinying and launching a rebellion against the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The fighting would spiral into a full-scale war. Soon, Rwanda was being accused of lending support to the rebels against the government of President Joseph Kabila gaining momentum from June.

However, till the end of the year, Rwanda remained defiant amid intense pressure from the international community — and despite the consequences that came with the accusations, mainly donors withholding vital aid.

The following is the timeline of arguably Rwanda’s big story of 2012 as it unfolded:

April 29, 2012: Soldiers, mainly Kinyarwanda-speaking, formerly aligned to Gen Laurent Nkunda’s CNDP which had been integrated into the national forces FARDC stage a mutiny in eastern Congo. According to the rebels, about 600 men are part of the mutiny.

Early reports suggest that the mutineers are linked to Gen Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes. The group’s spokesperson, Lt-Col Jean Marie Vianney Kazarama, however distances the rebels from the fugitive general.

READ: The Ntaganda factor in DR Congo conflict

May 8: In a press release, the mutineers announce that they have set up a new rebel movement known as M23, named after the date, in the month of March, of a 2009 peace deal which they accuse President Kabila and his government of failing to honour. The new rebel group also names its leader, Col Sultani Makenga.

May 28: Reports surface that Human Rights Watch (HRW) has a report in which it implicates Rwanda in the fresh conflict. BBC is the first to report it. Rwanda responds by labelling the rumours about its involvement in the conflict as “categorically false and dangerous.”

June 4: HRW releases a report which, for the first time, accuses Rwanda of supporting the rebels and implicates top government and military officials in the fighting. The rebels launch an offensive, triggering an exodus of refugees crossing into Rwanda and Uganda.

July 6: M23 fighters capture the DRC-Uganda border town of Bunagana after two days of fighting that see some 600 Congolese troops flee into Uganda, according to the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). An Indian peacekeeper with the UN Mission in DR Congo (Monusco) is killed in the fighting.

June 19: In a presidential press briefing, President Paul Kagame for the first time speaks about the renewed conflict. The Rwandan leader says the problems of governance in DRC are to blame, as well as the hypocrisy of the international community, which called on Rwanda to intervene and resolve the crisis but later turned around and accused the same country of fomenting the conflict.

June 20: A leaked draft report of a UN Group of Experts on the DRC crisis implicates Rwanda in the conflict but Rwanda condemns what it refers to as the leakage of a “one-sided preliminary document based on partial findings and is still subject to verification.”

READ: UN report links Rwanda to Congolese violence

July 11: International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) member countries meet in Addis Ababa on the sidelines of the African Union summit to discuss the conflict. Rwanda welcomes the development, saying a “regional solution” is needed to resolve the crisis.

July 14: Monusco announces that it has some 23 defectors from M23 who have confirmed links to Rwanda and asked to be repatriated back to the country. Rwanda rejects them, however, saying that they should undergo scrutiny via the Joint Verification Mechanism set up by the ICGLR.

July 22: The United States announces that it has suspended military aid to Rwanda, amounting to $200,000, over the accusations. Rwanda says the US and any other donor nation withholding aid is doing so on “false and baseless accusations.”

READ: US warns Kagame could face charges of aiding war in DRC

July 24: Heavy clashes between FARDC and M23 reported. Kakomero and Mwaro villages join Rutshuru and Masisi as territory captured by the M23. Speaking earlier, during the inauguration of Nyakinama Senior Command and Staff College, President Kagame again speaks about the issues in DRC.

July 25: Congolese forces regain control of Rumangabo, 50 kilometres north of the provincial capital Goma, from the rebels. Heavy fighting reported in Kiwanja and Kalengera centre as Kinshasa maintains that the firepower the rebels have is supplied by neighbouring Rwanda.

July 26: The M23 retake Rumangabo from FARDC after a battle.

July 27: In an annex to the Group of Experts Report, UN sanctions experts say they have “overwhelming evidence” that Rwanda have breached an arms embargo and aided rebels in the DRC.

July 28: Rwanda reports that its citizens are being targeted inside the crisis-hit Congo.

July 29: DRC President Kabila, for the first time, speaks about the situation in the eastern part of his country, saying that Rwanda’s alleged support to the rebels is an “open secret.”

July 30: Rwanda responds to the DRC allegations in a word-to-word rebuttal submitted to the UN. Denying any links whatsover to the rebels, Rwanda accuses the co-ordinator of the Group of Experts, Steve Hege, of being biased against Kigali.

READ: Congo crisis: Can Kigali’s strong rebuttal halt the UN report?

August 1: The M23 retreat to Masisi and Rutshuru as fighting dies down. The rebels demand talks with Kinshasa but government spokesperson Lambert Mende rules out the possibility, instead saying that it is “Rwanda that should be talked to stop its support to the rebels.”

August 4:  M23 rebels set up their centre of administration at Rutushuru, North Kivu.

August 7: Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) meet in Kampala for two days to deliberate on the crisis. President Kagame and President Kabila come face to face for the first time since the fresh fighting.

READ: Kagame, Kabila to meet in Kampala

August 31: Rwanda announces it will be pulling out 280 of its soldiers from eastern DRC, where they had been working with government troops fighting rebel militia there, following clashes between the troops and the M23.

October 17: Rwanda and DRC officials appear before the UN Security Council to present their case before the sanctions committee. DRC maintains its position that Rwanda is backing the rebels. Meanwhile, Rwanda threatens to take legal action against Mr Hege.

October 18: Rwanda is elected to the UNSC as a non-permanent member for two years from January 2013. DRC unsuccessfully attempts to block the vote.

October 19: The UNSC announces that it intends to sanction leaders of the M23 and implicitly threatens Rwanda and Uganda, which are accused of arming the movement. More donors announce plans to suspend aid to Rwanda. The two countries dismiss the accusations.

November 13: The UN and the US order sanctions against Col Makenga, whose rebel forces are accused of killing and raping civilians in eastern DRC.

November 14: Despite the talks in Kampala, DRC is reported to be preparing an offensive against rebel positions. The M23 say if attacked they will advance to Goma.

November 15: Fighting breaks out between the army and the M23 near Goma, with the sides accusing each other of having fuelled hostilities. The strategic capital of eastern DRC is located on the border with Rwanda. Heavy artillery fire is reported in the area.

November 16: The Governor of North Kivu, Julien Paluku, announces that the rebels have been driven back and that some 150 of them had been killed in heavy fighting. In an interview with The EastAfrican, the rebels dismiss government claims. Congo says some of the killed rebels were in Rwandan military uniform, which Kigali denies.

November 17: A spokesman for the UN peacekeeping forces in North Kivu reports that the M23 rebels have taken the town of Kibumba, just 25km from Goma. The UN forces deploy attack helicopters against the rebels. The rebels vow to engage UN forces if attacked.

November 18: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the world body’s forces will stay on in Goma after the rebels say they are closing in on the city. Rebels are reported to be near the airport. Kinshasa maintains that the rebels’ advance is backed by Rwanda.

November 19: The rebels issue an ultimatum to the Congolese government, warning that they will continue to fight unless Kinshasa opens talks within 24 hours. The government rejects their demands and the rebels push towards Goma.

November 20: The rebels march into Goma as FARDC forces abandon the city. The airport is captured first as President Kabila heads to Kampala for talks with his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni. Government forces pushed further from Goma.

November 21: Rebels now demand talks with Kinshasa or they will move south towards Bukavu. From Kinshasa, Mr Mende once again points an accusing finger at Rwanda. Kigali again denies the accusation.

November 22: Talks in Kampala open. ICGLR member states meet and call on the M23 to pull out of Goma with immediate effect. The rebels report that hundreds of government troops and police officers have defected, joining the rebel ranks.

November 24: The rebels advance towards Sake, a town 27km west of Goma, as government forces retreat to Minova.

November 27: After the DRC government agrees to talks with the M23, the rebels heed the ICGLR call to withdraw from Goma but with conditions. ICGLR countries resolve to establish a neutral force to patrol the rebel territory and also oversee the return of government control of the area.

November 28: Col Makenga says troops will begin to pull out of their recently captured positions but adds that 100 fighters will remain around the airport to observe the truce.

November 29: Congo says rebels are reneging on the promise to withdraw. “They leave in the morning and return in the evening in civilian clothes” says Mr Mende. Rebels say they are still observing the ceasefire.

November 30: Rwanda reports that Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) attacked its territory, killing one person and abducting three. The attack is repulsed. The rebels reportedly launch another attack in the Volcanoes National Park three days later, killing a game ranger.

December 3: Defence Minister James Kabarebe appears before parliament and for the first time speaks about the situation in DRC. Gen Kabarebe is one of the key Rwandan figures accused of backing the rebels directly.

December 8: M23 rebels reported to have arrived in Kampala for talks with the DRC government.

December 9: Kampala talks open, led by Uganda’s Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga, and go on for days with both sides not agreeing on some issues.

December 18: US President Barack Obama calls President Kagame to discuss the situation in eastern DRC. President Obama underscores that any support to the M23 would be inconsistent with Rwanda’s desire for stability and peace.

READ: Inside the Obama-Kagame phone call, and the battles ahead for Rwanda

December 22: Talks break for Christmas. They are set to resume in January.