The American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and then to Rwanda, cautiously raised the issue of armed groups active in eastern DRC, including the M23 movement which, according to Kinshasa, would be supported by Kigali.
In Rwanda, the last leg of his African tour, Bliken said he discussed with President Paul Kagame « credible reports that indicate that Rwanda continues to support the rebel group M23 and has its own forces in the DRC », referring to the recent report of the UN experts who suggested that Rwandan troops had intervened militarily inside the DRC since November 2021, and that Kigali had « provided troop reinforcements » for specific M23 operations.
“My message to the two presidents, Congolese and Rwandan, was the same. Any support or collaboration with armed groups in eastern DRC jeopardizes regional stability,” he said during a joint press conference in Kigali with Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta. . For him, “each country in the region must respect the territorial integrity of the others”.
For his part, the Rwandan minister reiterated the remarks, according to which his country does not support the M23 in any way. In the process, he highlighted the right of Rwanda to defend its sovereignty, in the face of threats from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group formed in the early 2000s in the DRC by exiled Rwandan Hutus and which fights Paul Kagame’s regime.
While some Congolese and American organizations expected Antony Blinken to clearly condemn Rwanda’s actions against the DRC, the American Secretary of State was content to challenge all parties in a general way.
By OMA Newsletter N° 818 of 08/11/2022
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
