Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta has accused the international community of “exacerbating” the armed-group-plagued crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after the United States urged Kigali to end any alleged support for the rebels. During a phone conversation with Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Sunday, December 4, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “made it clear that all external support for non-state armed groups in the DRC must end, including Rwanda’s support for M23.”
Fighting in eastern DRC between government forces and rebels from the M23, a former Tutsi rebellion, has heightened tensions with neighboring Rwanda, which accuses the DRC of encouraging the militia. Kigali denies any involvement.
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Democratic Republic of the Congo responsible, according to Rwanda
In a press release published on Monday evening, Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta reiterated that Paul Kagame and Antony Blinken “had a good exchange (…) but that disagreements over the understanding of the issue remain”. “The faulty approach (…) of the international community further exacerbates the problem,” the head of Rwandan diplomacy continued.
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Rwanda has repeatedly blamed the crisis in eastern DRC on the authorities in Kinshasa and accused the international community of alleged support for the FDLR (Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda), a Rwandan Hutu rebel movement with some involvement , ignoring the 1994 Tutsi genocide in Rwanda.
The existence and violence of this militia, portrayed as a threat by Kigali, justified previous Rwandan interventions in Congolese territory. Vincent Biruta reiterated that “Rwanda’s security issues must be taken into account” and continued that “M23 should not be equated with Rwanda”. A summit in Angola on November 23 ordered a ceasefire, followed by the rebel withdrawal from positions captured in recent months, but no withdrawal has been observed to date.
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After a five-day ceasefire, heavy gun battles resumed last week in eastern DRC between the M23 and the Congolese army, which the rebels have accused of massacring around 300 civilians. The M23 denied these allegations and called for an “independent investigation”. A separate peace initiative in Nairobi between East African officials and various rebel factions active in eastern Congo – but not the M23 – has been underway for more than a week.