The United States government has called on the DRC to immediately terminate any collaboration with the notorious FDLR rebel group with Washington designated as a terrorist entity.
“We urge the DRC government to continue to support measures to strengthen confidence, including by ceasing cooperation with the FDLR, an armed group designated as a “negative force” by regional bodies and the DRC government, and which exposes the civilian population to risks.
“We continue to support regional diplomatic efforts that promote de-escalation and create conditions for lasting peace in the DRC, and we call on all parties to participate constructively in the search for a negotiated solution.”
Washington expressed concerns at the deteriorating security situation in Eastern DRC worsened by an ongoing military confrontation between the M23 rebel movement and the Congolese forces fighting alongside FDLR a Rwandan rebel group largely composed of perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi.
“We call on the M23 to immediately cease hostilities and withdraw from their current positions around Sake and Goma, in accordance with the Luanda and Nairobi processes,” Wanshington noted on Friday.
Angolan President João Lourenço proposed this Friday in Addis Ababa a direct dialogue between his counterparts from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in order to put an end to the conflict between these two neighboring countries, during the thirty -seventh Conference of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
During this summit, President Paul Kagame made it clear that Rwanda remains committed to peace, through the established regional processes and mechanisms.
“FDLR and their integration into FARDC must be addressed,” Kagame said, warning, “Rwanda will never hesitate or apologize for protecting the security of its people. Nor will we seek permission to do so.”
President Kagame noted that the merging of FDLR with Congolese forces is a dangerous move which Rwanda cannot just look on happening at the doorstep. “We lost over one million people during the Genocide against the Tutsi. Nothing and no one will be allowed to take us back.”
Meanwhile, the Saturday drone attack carried out at Goma airport (North Kivu) has worsened the diplomatic relations between DRC and Rwanda as Kinshasa blames Kigali for a hand in it.
According to the army spokesperson in the region, Lieutenant-Colonel Guillaume Ndjike, the attack targeted FARDC aircraft but hit and damaged civilian aircraft. Fighting continues between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Wazalendo against the M23 rebels, in the surroundings of Sake, Masisi territory in the province of North Kivu .
