People evacuating Masisi territory take some of their belongings and gather on a busy road after clashes between M23 rebels and government forces on a road near Salake, February 7, 2024.
- Rwanda has asked the UN Security Council not to provide logistical and operational support to SA-led forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- DRC and Burundi are unilaterally hostile to Rwanda, accusing it of destabilizing the region.
- Rwanda says the international community says otherwise Accurately address cInsurgency in eastern DRC.
Rwanda has written to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) warning the international body that providing support to the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC) could spark a regional war.
The ministry said a peaceful solution is the best alternative to the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
However, the DRC is on record as saying it will only negotiate with Rwanda if it expels the M23 rebel group from DRC territory.
A regional war could pit Rwanda against a South African-led coalition that includes the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi and Tanzania.
SAMIDRC is in Congo to fight the M23 rebel group, which the United Nations and numerous human rights reports have linked primarily to Rwanda. However, Rwanda denies any link.
Burundi, which is allied with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, may also be included, as Rwanda has accused Rwanda of supporting the Red Tabara rebels who are launching attacks on Burundi from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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In a letter to Security Council President Carolyn Rodríguez Burkett, Rwanda's Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta said international organizations are considering supporting the Democratic Republic of the Congo's allies who have expressed intentions to destabilize Rwanda. said it was unfair.
In his letter, he also said SAMIDRC was “not neutral” in the crisis and implored the Security Council not to support the FARDC-led coalition.
He said:
The Rwandan government would like to urge the UN Security Council to avoid escalation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo by not reconsidering the request for logistical and operational support, which would only lead to further escalation.
“The Council should instead encourage the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to pursue a peaceful solution within the Luanda and Nairobi processes,” he said.
On February 7, Security Council Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix met with South African-born SAMIDRC Commander Major General Monwabisi Diakop.
Diakop was assured that the UNSC would consider providing logistical and operational support to SAMIDRC forces in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
During the meeting, Mr. Lacroix emphasized joint coordination to support the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which Rwanda did not take lightly.
The UNSC is expected to announce by June 30, 2024 what kind of support it will provide to SAMIDRC.
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Rwanda says the international community has not addressed the root causes of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which it blames on the Democratic Republic of Congo's support for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel group.
“The Government of Rwanda would like to note that the conflict continues because the international community has deliberately ignored the root causes of the conflict, including, among other things, support for Rwandan genocide forces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Democratic Republic of the Congo called for addressing the real grievances of Congolese Rwandans, especially the Tutsis, and the refusal of the government to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Congolese people living in the region.'' Birta said in the letter.
Regarding the agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, Biruta said that Rwanda currently has “no preventive measures in place” because Tshisekedi and Burundi's Evaristo Ndayishimiye are said to want to overthrow Rwandan President Paul Kagame. He said he had no choice but to take defensive measures.
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