In the News: Rwandan military presence in eastern DRC condemned by European Union
This Friday, the European Union strongly condemned the Rwandan military presence in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), affirming its support for the Tutsi rebellion M23. This rebellion, accused of multiple deadly attacks against civilians, took up arms again at the end of 2021 and conquered large territories in North Kivu, a region bordering Rwanda and Uganda.
In a statement issued by the head of diplomacy of the Twenty-Seven, Josep Borrell, the European Union demands the immediate withdrawal of Rwandan troops and invites Rwanda to use all the means at its disposal to put pressure on the M23 and push it to comply with the resolutions taken within the framework of the Nairobi and Luanda processes.
However, the EU does not only implicate Rwanda in this situation. It also calls on the Democratic Republic of Congo to cease its support and cooperation with local and foreign armed groups, in particular the FDLR (Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda), a Hutu militia descended from those responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
UN experts, in their recently released report, have drawn attention to the growing violence and urgent humanitarian needs in eastern DRC. Faced with this worrying situation, the European Union calls for international action to end the crisis and protect the civilian population.
This condemnation of the European Union highlights the persistent regional tensions in the Great Lakes region of Africa. The Rwandan military presence in eastern DRC and apparent support for M23 underscores the importance of international intervention to prevent further violence and bring stability to the region.
The next developments of this situation will be essential to assess the measures taken by regional and international actors to resolve the crisis in the DRC and guarantee the security of the populations affected by these conflicts. The situation remains critical and requires continued attention from the international community.