The United States implored Rwanda to publicly denounce Congolese rebels, who have seized vast areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s East. The appeal outlined the United States’ frustration over the Rwandan’s alleged role in propping up the M23 Congolese rebel movement, which has also resulted in the slashing of aid by donor countries to Rwanda.
Though Rwanda has consistently denied supporting the M23 rebels, it is yet to publicly condemn the movement.
Emphasising the importance of denouncing the Congolese rebels, the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, said in a teleconference,
“The M23 is led by individuals who are International Criminal Court (ICC) indictees, and is led by people who carried out serious human rights violations, so it should not be too much to ask the government to do this.”
Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been forced from their homes by fighting since the M23 took up arms. The rebels claim that they are fighting to ensure the full implementation of a 2009 Rwandan backed peace deal that ended a previous rebellion.
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