Rwanda, DR Congo Trade Accusations over M23 Rebels
In light of recent security developments in the DR Congo's eastern region, the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have leveled new charges against one another.
Rwanda, DR Congo Trade Accusations over M23 Rebels
In light of recent security developments in the DR Congo’s eastern region, the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have leveled new charges against one another.
In a statement titled “Response to continued provocation by FARDC” and dated October 24, the Rwandan government accuses the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of collaborating with “militias” to undermine its authority. The DR Congo has refuted this accusation.
The statement reads: “Recent statements and actions show that the DRC Government is determined on a course of continued military escalation, contrary to the assertions of the President of DRC that his country is focused on a diplomatic solution to the insecurity in eastern DRC. Furthermore, FARDC continues to operate alongside irregular armed militias, including FDLR.
Rwanda further stated that the FARDC’s preparations for new assaults on the armed organization M23 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo violate the agreed-upon regional security frameworks, notably the Nairobi and Luanda procedures.
The statement continued, “Continual agitation of the people on the basis of ethnicity, the use of powerful weapons, the targeting of Rwanda’s border region, and bogus charges against Rwanda are unacceptable.”
In its letters, the Rwandan government asserts that, despite ongoing provocations by the DRC government and armed forces, it is still dedicated to helping create a lasting, peaceful regional security solution within the predetermined regional frameworks.
The Kigali government, however, emphasized that any ongoing, unjustifiable attempts to use Rwanda as an excuse for the internal political issues in the DRC will be completely rejected.
Kinshasa is spoken
Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, the DR Congo’s government spokesperson, responded by saying Kinshasa had taken note of the press release the Rwandan government had sent on Monday, October 24, 2022.
Muyaya highlighted that the news release’s information presents a fresh, unambiguous, and indisputable acknowledgment that Rwanda is supporting the M23.
He questioned why another foreign government would stand up for an armed terrorist organization operating in a different State.
“How can a national army’s rightful obligation to carry out its constitutional duty to defend the Republic’s legal institutions and populace from terrorists whose only goal is to sow death and despair be denied?
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He claimed that Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, has a consistent policy of interfering in the internal affairs of the DRC in order to promote an atmosphere of fear in the region, which has been known to facilitate extensive looting around the world.
In the different peace processes in Nairobi, Luanda, and New York with the French President, Emmanuel Macron, all parties committed to put a stop to the armed groups, particularly the M23. According to Muyaya, Rwanda’s position contradicts such agreements.
He reaffirmed DRC’s commitment to upholding the prohibition on public incitement to hatred based on ethnicity, calling it a harmful myth promoted by Rwanda that seeks to sow discord among “our communities.”
If the M23 were actually protecting a Congolese community, according to Muyaya, fewer people would be uprooted and fewer would perish as a result of their brutality.
He reiterated DR Congo’s commitment to the various peace processes and determination to put an end to the criminal and terrorist activities of “the Rwanda backed M23” and to defend its territorial integrity as well as its national interests.
“The Government of the DRC categorically denounces the dishonest rhetoric of Rwanda and its military activities on Congolese soil, and reminds the Rwandan Government that its interventionist and expansionist ambitions will never be tolerated,” he said.
Additionally, he urged the international community to observe Rwanda’s activities, emphasizing that the effective staging of elections in 2023 depends on peace and security in the DRC’s eastern region.
