Rwanda has responded to the alleged renewed provocation by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) saying the development is contrary to claims by DRC that it was committed to a peaceful resolution to the conflict in that country. In a statement seen by Pindula News, Rwanda rejected claims that it was sponsoring rebel groups in DRC. Read the statement:
Response to renewed provocation by FARDC
Kigali, 24 October 2022
Contrary to the assertions of the President of DRC that his country is focused on a diplomatic solution to the insecurity in eastern DRC, recent statements and actions show that the DRC Government is decided on a course of continued military escalation. Furthermore, FAROC continues to operate alongside irregular armed militias, including FDLR.
FARDC’s buildup to renew attacks on M23, a Congolese armed group, is in violation of the agreed regional security mechanisms, including the Nairobi and Luanda processes. Continued public incitement on the basis of ethnicity, use of heavy weaponry, targeting of Rwanda’s border zone, and baseless accusations against Rwanda are unacceptable.
Despite continued provocations by DRC authorities and armed forces, Rwanda reiterates its firm commitment to contributing to a sustainable, peaceful regional security solution within the agreed regional frameworks. However, the continual, unjustified attempts to make Rwanda a scapegoat for the internal political problems of DRC will continue to be categorically rejected.
The current crisis erupted in November 2021, when the largely defunct March 23 Movement (M23) militant group carried out strikes on military positions of the FARDC in the villages of Chanzu and Runyonyi in North Kivu Province, just west of the Ugandan and Rwandan borders.
The longstanding rivalry between Uganda and Rwanda in the DRC and the Great Lakes region is a key driver of the current crisis. There is a profound level of mistrust at all levels, between the DRC and its neighbours, particularly Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi, as well as between all of these neighbours.
In August this year, Rwandan troops attacked soldiers inside DR Congo and aided the M23 rebel group with weapons and support, a United Nations group of experts said.
DRC repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing the M23, which stems from the long fallout from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and has captured swathes of territory in recent months.
Kigali repeatedly denied supporting M23.