US scolds Rwanda for breaking peace deal as M23 rebels seize key Congo city | Rwanda
The United States accused Rwanda of violating a U.S.-brokered peace deal by backing a deadly new rebel offensive in mineral-rich eastern Congo and warned it would take action against “spoilers.”
The remarks by US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz come as more than 400 civilians have been killed since Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have stepped up attacks in eastern Congo’s South Kivu province. He also said that Rwandan special forces are present in the strategic city of Uvira, according to officials.
Waltz told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that the United States was “deeply concerned and incredibly disappointed” by the renewed outbreak of M23.
“Rwanda is leading the region towards increasing instability and war,” Waltz warned. “We will use the tools at our disposal to hold accountable those who disturb the peace.”
He called on Rwanda to respect Congo’s right to defend its territory and invite friendly forces in neighboring Burundi to fight alongside Congolese forces. He also said the United States was in contact with all parties “to encourage restraint and avoid further escalation.”
The rebels’ latest offensive comes despite a US-brokered peace deal signed by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington last week.
The agreement did not include the rebel group, which negotiated separately with Congo and agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that each side accused the other of violating. However, it obliges Rwanda to cease support for armed groups such as M23 and work to end hostilities.
The rebel advance has brought the conflict to the doorstep of neighboring Burundi, which has maintained troops in eastern Congo for years, raising fears of a wider regional spread.
Congo’s communications ministry confirmed Friday that M23 had captured the strategic port city of Uvira in eastern Congo, at the northern end of Lake Tanganyika and directly opposite Burundi’s largest city, Bujumbura.
Uvira was the Congolese government’s last major foothold in South Kivu after the provincial capital Bukavu fell to rebels in February. Its capture allows the rebels to consolidate a wide corridor of influence in the east.
M23 said it took control of Uvira on Wednesday afternoon after a rapid offensive since the beginning of the month. In addition to more than 400 people being killed, nearly 200,000 people have been displaced, regional officials say.
Civilians fleeing eastern Congo also crossed into Burundi, and reports of shells hitting the town of Rugombo on the Burundi side of the border raised concerns about the conflict spreading into Burundi territory.
More than 100 armed groups, primarily M23, are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, near the Rwandan border. The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
Congo, the US and UN experts accuse Rwanda of supporting M23, which has grown from hundreds of members to nearly 6,500 fighters in 2021, according to the UN.
Rwandan forces are providing “logistical and training support to M23” and are fighting alongside rebels in eastern Congo with “approximately 5,000 to 7,000 soldiers as of early December,” Waltz said.
Congolese foreign minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner accused Rwanda of trampling on the peace agreement, which she said brought “the hope of a historic turning point”.
He called on the Security Council to impose sanctions against military and political leaders responsible for the attacks, ban mineral exports from Rwanda, and ban Rwanda from sending troops to UN peacekeeping missions.
Rwanda is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeepers, with approximately 6,000 Rwandan soldiers.
Eastern Congo, rich in critical minerals, has Trump’s attention as Washington looks for ways to bypass China to obtain rare earths needed to produce warplanes, cellphones and more.
