The authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced on Tuesday that they will defend « every centimeter » of their territory, following the capture, the day before, of the strategic town of Bunagana by the M23 rebellion supported, according to Kinshasa, by Rwanda.
« We will defend every centimeter of our territory, » says a press release from the Congolese Ministry of Communication and Media, which « condemns the participation of the Rwandan authorities in supporting, financing and arming this rebellion. »
The M23, a Tutsi-dominated rebellion (the ethnicity of Rwandan President Paul Kagame), was defeated in 2013 by Kinshasa; but he took up arms again at the end of 2021, accusing the Congolese authorities of non-compliance with the agreement signed for the demobilization and reintegration of his fighters.
Since Monday, the movement has taken control of Bunagana, an important trading center located in the province of North Kivu, in eastern DRC. The Congolese armed forces (FARDC) could not hold out against the rebellion; some soldiers are said to have fled to Uganda.
Kinshasa believes that Kigali would be behind the M23 strike force; a conviction that is increasingly shared by international partners.
“Rwandan support for M23 rebels attacking civilians, UN peacekeepers and FARDC in eastern DRC is unacceptable. The world must be united in condemning his actions,” the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee said on Monday.
On Tuesday, the American embassy in Kinshasa also expressed its concerns. “We are extremely concerned about recent fighting in eastern DRC and the reported presence of Rwandan forces in DRC territory. Provocative behavior and incendiary remarks must stop, ”says its press release.
The EU ambassador to the DRC condemned the “actions of national and foreign armed groups”. « We reaffirm our firm commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and we condemn the use of armed groups acting by proxy », declared for his left, last weekend, the spokesman for the UN, Stéphane Dujarric.
But Kigali maintains that it does not support the M23 in any way. On the contrary, Rwanda claims to be the victim of « aggression » and threatens to act.
The Congolese army deploring the “invasion of Bunagana by the Rwandan army”, to use its terms, reassured the population that “all the provisions are in place for the recovery of the situation”.
By OMA Newsletter N° 742 of 15/06/2022
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
