U.S. Orders M23 to Cease Fire, Tells Rwanda to Withdraw Troops from Eastern DR Congo

The United States has strongly condemned the worsening violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) caused by the actions of the Rwanda-backed, U.S.- and UN-sanctioned M23 armed group, including its recent incursions into the town of Sake. 

According to a statement released Sunday by the U.S. Department of State, this escalation has increased the risk to millions of people already exposed to human rights abuses including displacement, deprivation, and attacks. 

“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,” said Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson.

He added: “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 said it was essential that all states respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and hold accountable all actors for human rights abuses in the conflict in eastern DRC. 

“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, and which exposes the civilian population to risk.” 

It added: “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.”

On Friday, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of fuelling conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and looting wealth.

This was during an extraordinary mini-summit on the security situation in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo held at African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The mini-summit hosted by Angola President João Lourenço aimed at addressing the root causes of the ongoing insecurity in eastern DRC, including bad governance, ethnic discrimination and violence.

In turn, Kagame accused Tshisekedi of allegedly “integrating” the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebels into the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC).

“Rwanda will never hesitate or apologise for protecting the security of its people. Nor will we seek permission to do so. We lost over one million people during the Genocide against the Tutsi. Nothing and no one will be allowed to take us back,” he stated.