UN demands end to DRC's M23 conflict

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Friday demanding that the M23 rebels in eastern Congo immediately cease hostilities and withdraw from territories they have seized, reports Voice of America. The council also threatened sanctions on those who prolong the conflict. France, which drafted the text, said it sends a clear message that there is no military solution to the conflict in the eastern DRC. ‘The priority is to reach an effective, unconditional and immediate ceasefire agreement,’ Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere said. ‘A restoration of dialogue is urgent, with support from mediation at the regional level. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC needs to be respected.’ The resolution also calls on the Rwanda Defence Forces to cease their support ‘to the M23 and immediately withdraw from DRC territory without preconditions. ’Council members accuse the Rwandan Defence Forces of ‘direct support’ of the M23. Rwanda has repeatedly denied allegations that it supports the rebels. The Security Council also strongly urged the the DRC and Rwanda ‘to return without preconditions to diplomatic talks as a matter of urgency’ and to implement their existing commitments under two regional mediations known as the Luanda and Nairobi processes. Thousands of Rwandan-backed M23 rebels continue to seize territory in the mineral-rich eastern part of the DRC with little resistance from the national army.

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The Rwandan Government has condemned the US decision to sanction a government Minister for his alleged role in the conflict in the DRC, reports BBC News. Announcing the financial sanctions last Thursday, the US Treasury Department said Rwanda's Minister of State for Regional Integration James Kabarebe, a former army chief, was central to his country's support for the M23 rebel group. Also sanctioned was Lawrence Kanyuka, the M23's spokesman, as well as two companies he controls in Britain and France, the US Treasury said. On Friday, the UK said there would be ‘consequences’ for Rwanda over its alleged role in the DRC. Responding to the US move, Rwanda's Foreign Ministry said the sanctions would not resolve the conflict in the DRC, terming them ‘unjustified and unfounded’. They come as the M23 appears to be continuing its advance after capturing two major cities in recent weeks in the mineral-rich east of DRC. The rebel group, mainly comprised of ethnic Tutsis, has seized the cities of Goma and Bukavu. Western powers have accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 with arms and as well as backing from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), accusations Rwanda denies. The Treasury Department on Thursday said Kabarebe was sanctioned because ‘he is central to Rwanda's support’ for the M23 armed group. It said Kabarebe together with Kanyuka were ‘linked to violence and human rights abuses’ in DRC.

‘Today's action underscores our intent to hold accountable key officials and leaders like Kabarebe and Kanyuka, who are enabling the RDF and M23's destabilising activities in the eastern DRC,’ said Bradley Smith, acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. According to BBC News,  Rwanda dismissed the US action, saying Kigali's aim was only to secure its border and an ‘irreversible end to the politics of armed ethnic extremism in our region’. DRC welcomed the US sanctions, saying it wanted to see more such measures. Addressing G20 foreign Ministers in South Africa on Friday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy termed the reported involvement of Rwandan troops a ‘blatant breach of the UN Charter which risks spiralling into a regional conflict’.

DRC President Felix Tshisekedi will launch a unity government, his spokesperson said on Saturday, as he faces domestic pressure over his handling of an offensive by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern provinces, reports TimesLIVE. The M23's capture of swathes of eastern DRC and valuable mineral deposits has fanned fears of a wider war and provoked some members of the fractious opposition to predict his presidency will not last. On Saturday, Tshisekedi told meeting of the ruling Sacred Union coalition not to be distracted by internal quarrels: ‘We must unite ... let's stand together to face the enemy.’ Presidency spokesperson Tina Salama said Tshisekedi would form a government of national unity and make changes in the leadership of the coalition, without giving further details. Since the start of the year, DRC has faced back-to-back losses in North and South Kivu provinces, fuelling criticism of the authorities' military strategy. ‘His management is one of the causes of the crisis,’ said opposition figure Herve Diakiese, criticising the move to form a unity government. ‘Tshisekedi is more concerned with saving his power, whereas we are more concerned with saving the DRC, and this can be done with or without him.’

Meanwhile, the evacuation of injured South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers from the eastern DRC is set to begin this week, reports SABC News. It remains unclear how many soldiers will be brought back to South Africa. The evacuation follows last month’s clashes between the M23 rebels and the Congolese military, which resulted in the deaths of 14 SANDF members. The process has faced delays, with the M23 rebels insisting that the only route available for evacuation is through the Rwandan border. South Africa has been reluctant to use this route, citing concerns about potential humiliation by Rwandan authorities. The United Nations will oversee the evacuation, but it is not yet confirmed how many soldiers will be transported from Goma once the process begins.