The United States government has expressed strong disapproval of the Rwandan government’s backing of the M23 armed group, which is presently carrying out violent attacks in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, issued this announcement through a press release titled “Escalation of Hostilities in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,” available on the Department’s website.
The statement highlighted that the M23 armed group, supported by the Rwandan government, is currently subject to sanctions imposed by both the U.S. and the U.N. for various violations.
Furthermore, it underscored that the M23 armed group had launched an incursion into the town of Sake in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in egregious human rights abuses such as displacement, deprivation, and attacks.
Additionally, the statement emphasized the United States government’s call for Rwanda to promptly withdraw all Rwanda Defense Force personnel from the DRC and dismantle its surface-to-air missile systems.
Moreover, the US government called on the M23 armed group to immediately cease hostilities and retreat from its current positions surrounding Sake and Goma.
- “We call on M23 to immediately cease hostilities and withdraw from its current positions around Sake and Goma and in accordance with the Luanda and Nairobi processes.
- “The United States condemns Rwanda’s support for the M23 armed group and calls on Rwanda to immediately withdraw all Rwanda Defense Force personnel from the DRC and remove its surface-to-air missile systems, which threaten the lives of civilians, UN and other regional peacekeepers, humanitarian actors, and commercial flights in eastern DRC,” the statement read in part.
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- Miller also emphasized that every state involved in the conflict must respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and they should hold all individuals accountable for human rights violations in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) conflict.
- Additionally, the United States government urged the DRC government to persist in supporting confidence-building measures, which should involve discontinuing cooperation with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group labeled as a “negative force” by regional entities and the DRC government, because the FDLR’s activities endanger civilian populations.
- “We continue to support regional diplomatic efforts that promote de-escalation and create the conditions for lasting peace in DRC and we call on all sides to participate constructively in reaching a negotiated solution,” the statement added.
Backstory
- Over the span of three decades, the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been marred by persistent violent conflicts, particularly along its border with Rwanda, involving over 100 rebel factions.
- Presently, the border towns of Sake and Goma are engulfed in an ongoing conflict, with the rebel group known as the March 23 (M23) movement, allegedly supported by the Rwandan government, is conducting attacks on civilians and engaging in mortar exchanges with the DRC army.
- While the M23 insurgency purports to defend the rights of the Congolese Tutsi community against Rwandan Hutu killers who fled after the genocide, the abundant mineral resources in the border region serve as a significant incentive.
- Social media platforms are inundated with images depicting the severity of the hostilities in eastern DRC, prompting a mass exodus of civilians fleeing for safety.
