The United States has condemned Rwanda’s support of the M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, whose advance has caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The U.S. State Department called on the M23 rebels to “cease hostilities.”
The U.S. State Department said that the violence is caused by the actions of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. It called on Rwanda to withdraw its troops from Democratic Republic of Congo and remove its surface-to-air missile systems. The U.S. also urged the rebels to retreat from their positions near two urban areas in North Kivu.
The Rwandan government has repeatedly denied any links to the M23 rebels. However, Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi has accused Rwanda of destabilizing the country by backing the rebels. U.N. experts also said that they have evidence that members of Rwanda’s armed forces are supporting the M23 rebels.
The fighting between the M23 rebels and the Congolese government troops has intensified in recent days, with the rebels threatening to take over the city of Goma. Residents of the nearby town of Sake have been fleeing the violence.
The armed conflict has so far displaced more than one million people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since November. The aid group Mercy Corps said that the situation is dire and that more humanitarian assistance is needed.
The M23 rebels say they are fighting to protect the Tutsi minority group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo from attacks by Hutu extremists. The group was formed in 2012 by former members of the Congolese army who were Tutsi.
