Won’t Withdraw Missiles, Troops From Eastern Congo: Rwanda To U.S.

Tensions are high as Rwandan authorities have rejected U.S. calls for withdrawal of troops and missiles from eastern Congo.

According to Africa News, Rwanda’s foreign ministry claimed Congo has carried out a “dramatic build-up” near the border and they need to protect national security. They also claimed that members of the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) who they claim  were responsible for the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 are now part of the Congolese army

Earlier on Saturday, the U.S. State Department, in a statement on Saturday, criticised the worsening violence caused by M23, describing it as a Rwanda-backed armed group. That statement also urged Rwanda to immediately withdraw all Rwanda Defence Force personnel from the (Congo) and remove its surface-to-air missile systems.”

Rwanda claims the U.S. statement represented an abrupt shift in policy, or simply a lack of internal coordination.

According to AP the UN claims that the M23 has displaced thousands of people in North Kivu’s province in recent years. There has been fierce fighting near Goma, the region’s largest city between government troops and the rebel group. This has intensified in recent days as the rebels threatened to take over the metropolis.

The rebel group had risen to prominence over a decade ago when its fighters seized Goma, which borders Rwanda. It derives its name from a March 23, 2009 peace deal it accuses the Congo government of not implementing. After being largely dormant for a decade, M23 resurfaced in late 2021 and has since captured wide parts of eastern Congo.