UNSC condemns Rwanda, M23 rebels for offensive in eastern DR Congo

Resolution urges Rwandan troops to retreat from country of struggle that has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has condemned Rwanda for backing a rebel violative successful eastbound Democratic Republic of the Congo and urged it to retreat its forces and halt supporting the M23 equipped group.

The UNSC unanimously adopted the solution connected Friday, and besides extended the UN peacekeeping ngo successful the DRC, known arsenic MONUSCO, for a year. This came contempt Rwanda’s repeated denials – contrary to overwhelming grounds – of engagement successful a struggle that has intensified arsenic a United States-brokered bid woody unravels.

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The UNSC said M23’s seizure of the strategical metropolis of Uvira “risks destabilizing the full region, gravely endangers civilian populations and imperils ongoing bid efforts”.

“M23 indispensable instantly retreat astatine slightest 75km (47 miles) from Uvira and instrumentality to compliance with each of its obligations undertaken successful the Framework Agreement,” said Jennifer Locetta, a US typical to the UN.

M23 captured Uvira successful the South Kivu Province connected December 10, little than a week aft the DRC and Rwandan presidents met US President Donald Trump successful Washington and committed to a bid agreement.

“It is an astonishing day: large time for Africa, large time for the satellite and for these 2 countries. And they person truthful overmuch to beryllium arrogant of,” Trump crowed, arsenic warring rapidly undermined the White House spectacle.

One Uvira resident, Feza Mariam, told Al Jazeera successful caller days: “We don’t cognize thing astir the governmental process they are talking about.

“The lone happening we request is peace. Anyone capable to supply america with bid is invited here. For the rest, we arsenic citizens, we don’t attraction astir it.”

The M23 radical claimed connected Wednesday it was withdrawing from the metropolis pursuing planetary backlash, but the DRC authorities dismissed this arsenic a “staged” pullback, saying M23 forces stay deployed there.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged connected Friday that commitments nether the Washington accord were “not being met” but said his authorities had present signed agreements it could “hold radical to”.

The US earlier warned it would usage disposable tools against those undermining the bid deal, with US officials estimating betwixt 5,000 and 7,000 Rwandan soldiers were operating successful eastbound DRC arsenic of aboriginal December.

The US had previously sanctioned Rwandan furniture ministers earlier this year, and the DRC aboriginal led calls to grow those sanctions aft the seizure of Uvira.

The warring has triggered a large humanitarian emergency, with much than 84,000 radical fleeing into Burundi since aboriginal December, according to the UN exile agency, which said the state has reached a “critical point” arsenic refugees get exhausted and traumatised. They articulation astir 200,000 others who had already sought refuge successful the country.

Regional officials accidental much than 400 civilians person been killed successful caller unit successful the city.

The seizure of Uvira, located straight crossed Lake Tanganyika from Burundi’s largest city, Bujumbura, has raised fears of broader determination spillover. The metropolis was the past large foothold successful South Kivu for the DRC authorities and the Wazalendo, which are DRC-allied militias, aft M23 captured the provincial capital, Bukavu, successful February.

Rwanda has consistently denied backing M23, contempt assessments by UN experts and the planetary community. In a February interrogation with CNN, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said helium did not cognize whether his country’s troops were successful the DRC, contempt being commander-in-chief of the equipped forces.

Rwanda implicitly acknowledged a beingness successful eastbound DRC successful February 2024, erstwhile it rejected a US telephone to retreat troops and surface-to-air rocket systems, saying it had adjusted its posture for self-defence.

Rwanda maintains that its information concerns are driven by the beingness of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a militia composed mostly of Hutus who fled to the DRC aft participating successful the 1994 genocide that killed astir 800,000 Tutsis and mean Hutus.

Kigali views the radical arsenic an existential menace and accuses the DRC authorities of supporting it.

The broader struggle successful the mineral-rich eastbound DRC, wherever much than 100 equipped groups operate, has displaced much than 7 cardinal people, creating 1 of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.