Kigali: Rwanda's foreign minister accused the international community of exacerbating the crisis in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after Washington urged Kigali to halt its alleged support for rebels in the strife-torn region.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a call to Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Sunday that foreign support for armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) must end "including aid to Rwanda's M23".
The M23 rebel group has been accused by US-backed reports of receiving support from Rwanda on several occasions; UN independent experts also claimed that Kigali was supporting the group.
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After years without fighting, a mostly Congolese Tutsi group recommenced their struggle in late 2021, sparking a crisis in eastern DRC.
According to Rwanda's foreign minister, Vincent Biruta, Kagame and Blinken "had a good discussion," but differences in understanding of the issue remain.
According to a statement issued by Biruta late on Monday, the issue is being made worse by the misguided and misguided tactics of the international community.
He said regional diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue were being undermined by "external interference and dictate". Rwanda has repeatedly blamed Kinshasa for the crisis in the DRC and claims the world is ignoring its support for the FDLR, a rebel group based in Congo fighting against Kigali.
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Rwanda's security concerns must be addressed according to Biruta, and while other countries may not feel obligated to do so, Rwanda has and will continue to do so.
It is wrong to compare M23 with Rwanda. No, he continued, "It is not the Rwandan issue that needs to be resolved.
On 23 November, the DRC and Rwanda reached a ceasefire agreement during talks in Luanda, the capital of Angola. However, Kinshasa has accused the M23 of massacring civilians despite the ceasefire.
The M23 was supposed to withdraw from the seized area as part of the agreement, but this did not happen.
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A separate peace initiative has been underway in Nairobi for more than a week between East African authorities and various rebel groups fighting in eastern Congo, but not the M23.