After the failure of mediation between the DRC and Rwanda under the aegis of Angola, the armed group of the M23 and 3000 to 4000 Rwandan soldiers, according to the UN, have quickly gained ground in recent weeks.
Kigali involved in the UN Security Council
The UN Security Council, united in emergency on Sunday, denounced the “shameless contempt” of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC. The members of the Council “require the immediate withdrawal of the forces”, without explicitly appoint them, according to a declaration published on Sunday evening, which refers to a report of experts from the United Nations having denounced the presence of Rwandan forces in the DRC and their support to the M23 armed group which fights the Congolese army.
Earlier, during the Security Council, Kinshasa accused Rwanda of having “declared war” by sending new troops to support the M23 which besieges Goma, border town in Rwanda where there are a million inhabitants and almost as much moved.
A few hours earlier, UN secretary general António Guterres, who had not so clearly implicated Kigali so far, called “the Rwandan defense forces to stop supporting the M23 and withdraw from the territory of the DRC ”.
Several member states have also pointed out Rwanda, including France, the United States and the United Kingdom, during this meeting.
-Non-compliance with previous ceasefire
Sunday evening, Kigali indicated to be placed in a “lasting defensive posture” in view of the evolution of the fights on the other side of the border. “The processes of Luanda and Nairobi are both urgently required a new impetus, in order to achieve sustainable peace and stability for all countries in our region,” said Kigali.
Half a dozen ceasefies have already been decreed and then from the eastern DRC. The latest had been signed at the end of July.
In December, a meeting between Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame, as part of the peace process overseen by Angola, appointed mediator by the African Union, was canceled for lack of agreement on the conditions of an agreement.
