Kigali is now increasingly getting under immense pressure accused of supporting the M23 rebel group that has continued to destabilise the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Now the United States of America condemned worsening violence in the eastern DRC on February 17th, 2024 which it says is caused by the ‘actions of the Rwanda-backed, U.S.- and UN-sanctioned M23 armed group.’
“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,” part of the press statement reads from Mathew Miller the US Department of State spokesperson.
The US indicated that It is essential that all states respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, “We call on the government of the DRC to continue to support confidence building measures, including ceasing cooperation with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group named as a “negative force” by regional bodies and the government of the DRC,” the press statement reads.
Burundi and DRC have for recently seen their relations with neighbouring Rwanda deteriorate with both (DRC and Burundi) accusing Kigali of supporting rebel groups that have continued to attack and kill civilians in both countries.
The bad blood between Burundi and Rwanda forced Gitega to close all its land borders with Rwanda just less than two years after its reopening, the decision came as Burundi accused Kigali of supporting, training and funding Red Tabara an armed group that attacked the country (Gatumba) in December last year killing at least 20 people.
For DRC, president Antoine Tshisekedi accuses Rwanda of deploying its forces (RDF) alongside the M23 that have caused instability and claiming hundreds of civilian lives in the Eastern part of DRC with the recent town of Sake and Goma being under threat.
“The recent M23 advances are due to the DRC’s decision to expel the East African Community Regional Force in December 2023, which oversaw ceasefire and withdrawal efforts,” part of the statement reads from Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dates February 18th, 2024.
According to president Paul Kagame’s government, “Protecting the rights and lives of Congolese Tutsi is the responsibility of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The consistent failure to do so has exposed the entire Great Lakes Region to thirty years of conflict and instability.”
“…Because of that growing risk, Rwanda’s position is that the M23 issue must be resolved politically amongst Congolese. It will not be accepted for the problem to be externalized into Rwanda, by force, once again,” part of the statement reads from Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Burundi as a non-SADC member joined forces with SADC to combat the M23 rebel group, after the withdrawal of the East African Regional Forces last year with DRC snubbing to renew their mandate accusing the forces of not accomplishing its mission.