DR Congo Expels Rwandan Ambassador as M23 Rebels Seize Border Town
As a result of the M23 rebels seizing the border town of Kitagoma and causing hundreds of Congolese citizens to flee into Uganda's Kisoro District, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has expelled the Rwandan ambassador.
DR Congo Expels Rwandan Ambassador as M23 Rebels Seize Border Town
As a result of the M23 rebels seizing the border town of Kitagoma and causing hundreds of Congolese citizens to flee into Uganda’s Kisoro District, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has expelled the Rwandan ambassador.
On Saturday, the rebel group also took control of Kiwanja, a town in eastern Congo, thus shutting off Goma, the provincial seat of North Kivu, from the lower part of the province.
A U.N. In a statement, the intervention brigade, which has been assisting the government forces, stated that four peacekeepers had been hurt in the combat.
On Saturday, October 29, 2022, H.E. Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Supreme Commander of the FARDC and the National Police, presided over a meeting of the Superior Council of Defense on national security in relation to the development of the security situation in the eastern part of the vast, mineral-rich nation.
In announcing the outcomes of the conference, the government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said that “a large arrival of elements of the Rwandan element to support the M23 terrorists” had taken place against the DR Congo’s military.
He said that the defense council, which met in Kinshasa at the Cité de l’Union Africaine, had resolved to request that the government grant Vincent Karega, the ambassador of Rwanda, 48 hours to depart the country.
The defence council released a statement saying, “It was a question of taking stock of the evolution of the security situation in North Kivu marked particularly by a series of attacks and the occupation of some Congolese localities, in the territory of Rutshuru, by the M23 supported by the Rwandan army.”
Vincent Karega, the ambassador of Rwanda
According to reports from various sources, including the Joint Operations Center, which is equipped with surveillance drones, “it has been observed in recent days a massive arrival of elements of the Rwandan army to support the M23 terrorists for a general offensive against the positions of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
The Nairobi and Luanda peace talks, which have been ongoing for several months, have recently suffered another setback as a result of the M23 onslaught, which is supported by the Rwandan army.
“Our Armed Forces put up a vigorous fight against this criminal and terrorist enterprise, vowing to protect the nation even at the cost of their lives. Several thousand of our compatriots were forcibly displaced as a result of these skirmishes, further complicating an already precarious humanitarian situation, according to the communiqué.
In light of the aforementioned, the Supreme Defense Council requested that the Government dismiss Mr. Vincent Karega, the Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Rwanda stationed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, within 48 hours of his notification.
“This is due, on the one hand, to Rwanda’s persistence in attacking the Democratic Republic of the Congo and support for the M23 terrorist movement, which it exploits for this purpose; and on the other hand, the contempt tinged with arrogance of the Rwandan authorities vis-à-vis both the Nairobi and Luanda process and the recommendations of the international community, more specifically the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU), the East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC
On Saturday, President Tshisekedi will preside over the Superior Defense Council.
The council also demanded that the government send an urgent humanitarian mission to help the people who have been affected by these attacks, adopt new steps to prevent Rwanda from entering Congolese territory, and expand the size of the Armed and Security Forces’ strike force.
It also aimed to underline DRC’s commitment to continuing to participate in the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes in order to bring about long-term peace, security, and stability in the Great Lakes area.
“The Superior Defense Council congratulated the Defense and Security Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo for their bravery and determination to defend the territorial integrity of our country, to protect the populations as well as the Institutions of the Republic at this specific time when national unity is threatened.”
“In order to maintain national unity, the Superior Council of Defense remembered the advice of the Head of State, the President of the Republic, that any rhetoric, violence, and stigmatization against the Rwandophone people be avoided in order to prevent giving the enemy a flank. It inspired the qualified services to guarantee full adherence to this advice.
The Supreme Defense Council concluded by expressing gratitude to the Congolese people for their demonstration of support and patriotism for the Armed Forces and the civilians impacted by this onslaught.
In the upcoming days, according to President Tshisekedi, he will address the nation.
