France says Rwanda’s Support of M23 Rebels ‘Unacceptable’

France has openly accused and condemned Rwanda for supporting M23 rebels who are spearheading the current insecurity in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

France also condemned in the strongest terms the violence committed by the M23 in Kishishe and Bambo on December 8, 2022.

“France condemns the support that Rwanda gives to the group M23 and asks that the processes of Luanda and Nairobi can be fully implemented,” said Anne-Claire Legendre, the spokesperson of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday.

She said France has always defended and will always defend the integrity and sovereignty of the DRC.

“France considers the Rwandan aggression unacceptable.”

#RDC « La France a toujours défendu et défendra toujours l’intégrité et la souveraineté de la #RDC », déclare l’émissaire d’Emmanuel Macron qui condamne de nouveau le soutien du #Rwanda au #M23. La France juge « d’inacceptable » l’agression rwandaise. pic.twitter.com/1r8LMmpNwc

— POLITICO.CD (@politicocd) December 20, 2022

France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Belgium have since condemned in the strongest terms the continuation of the M23 offensives and the deterioration of the situation in the east of the country.

Anne-Claire Legendre told journalists in Kinshasa that Paris wants parties to respect peace processes from Luanda and Nairobi, the regional efforts to seek a harmonious existence between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda and an end to supporting rebel groups as the first step for long-term peace in eastern DRC.

While attending the U.S.-Africa Summit last week, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi thanked U.S. President Joe Biden for the condemnation of Rwanda’s support for the M23 while Rwandan President Paul Kagame denied the accusations saying “the problem was not created by Rwanda, and is not Rwanda’s problem. It is the problem of the Congo”.