Reuters
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The United States accused Rwanda on Friday of fueling instability and war as a Rwanda-backed advance of the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo threatens to derail US President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker peace in the area.
“Rwanda is leading the region towards increased instability and war,” US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz advised the UN Security Council. “We will use the tools at our disposal to hold to account spoilers to peace.”
The rebels’ beneficial properties deliver the battle to the doorstep of neighboring Burundi, which has had troops in eastern Congo for years, aggravating fears of additional regional spillover of fighting that has already killed hundreds of individuals and displaced tons of of hundreds extra since January.
“Let me be clear: restraint has its limits. Should these irresponsible attacks continue, it would become extremely difficult to avoid a direct escalation between our two countries,” Burundi’s UN Ambassador Zephyrin Maniratanga advised the Security Council.
Rwanda’s UN Ambassador Martin Ngoga accused Burundi of an assault on Rwandan territory and stated: “Rwanda is not waging war against the Republic of Burundi and has no intention of doing that.” He accused DRC of violating the ceasefire and stated Rwanda was absolutely dedicated to implementing its half of the Washington peace deal.
Congo’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner known as on the Security Council to carry Rwanda accountable. “We have reached a moment of truth – either the international order accepts being openly defied, namely by Rwanda, or this council assumes its responsibility. Impunity has gone on for far too long,” she advised the council.
M23 says it’s fighting to guard ethnic Tutsi communities in eastern Congo. The newest M23 advance in mineral-rich eastern Congo comes every week after Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame met Trump in Washington and affirmed their dedication to a US-brokered peace deal.
“We call on Rwanda to uphold its commitments and to further recognize the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s right to defend its territory and its sovereign right to invite Burundian forces onto its territory,” Waltz advised the 15-member council. “We are engaging with all sides to urge restraint and to avoid further escalation, including refraining from hostile anti-Tutsi rhetoric.”
“The United States is profoundly concerned and incredibly disappointed with the renewed outbreak of violence in the eastern DRC,” Waltz stated. He advised the Security Council that Rwanda has had strategic management of M23 and what he referred to as the insurgent group’s political wing – the Congo River Alliance, or AFC – because it re-emerged in 2021.
“Kigali has been intimately involved in planning and executing the war in eastern DRC, providing military and political direction to M23 forces and AFC for years now,” Waltz stated. “The Rwandan defense forces have provided materiel, logistics and training support to M23, as well as fighting alongside M23 in DRC with roughly 5,000 to 7,000 troops as early December.”
Rwanda denies backing M23 and has blamed Congolese and Burundian forces for the renewed fighting.
M23 shouldn’t be occasion to the Washington-mediated negotiations. It has been collaborating in a separate, parallel spherical of talks with the Congolese authorities, hosted by Qatar.