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DRC President calls for sanctions against Rwanda over M23 rebellion

The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi (L)

By Foreign Reporter | Tuesday, January 30, 2024

President has urged the United Nations, the African Union, and regional organisations to impose punitive sanctions on Rwanda for supporting rebels of the March 23 (M23).

The Congolese President has urged the United Nations, the African Union, and regional organisations to impose punitive sanctions on Rwanda for supporting rebels of the March 23 (M23) movement who have been wreaking havoc in the eastern DRC.

The call comes on the heels of rising tensions, and military posturing from the two East African Community neighbours.

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During a diplomatic corps meeting in Kinshasa on Tuesday, President Felix Tshisekedi also stated that he ruled out engaging in dialogue with Rwanda or the M23 rebels.

“My government reiterates the non-negotiable nature of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC. We will not accept any compromise,” the recently sworn-in Tshisekedi told foreign diplomats accredited to the DRC.

He stated, “It’s either complete peace or total war”.

Rwanda does not have any territorial presence in the DRC. However, Tshisekedi has persistently rejected the recognition of M23, a rebel group operating in eastern DRC, as Congolese, instead accusing them of being Rwandan operatives acting on behalf of the Rwandan Government.

The Congolese President reaffirmed his country’s stance regarding the aggression it faces in the eastern region.

He expressed support for the deployment of a South African regional force in the North Kivu province, aimed at assisting the FARDC in operations against Rwandan forces and the M23 rebels.

Washington in August last year-imposed sanctions on six individuals believed to have helped fuel the conflict.

The six individuals are Rwandans and Congolese rebels, or members of their respective defence forces.

According to the US Treasury, each of these individuals has contributed to the instability in eastern part of the country as it struggles to end decades of armed conflicts.

The eastern DRC has been mired in conflict for decades, with armed groups vying for control of the region’s vast mineral resources.

Kinshasa has for long accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels, who have seized control of large swaths of the country’s east.

Rwanda has repeatedly denied the allegation.

Most recently, the DRC has initiated explosive aerial offensives against the M23.

A regional force drawn from the SADC bloc (south Africa, Tanzania, and Malawi) has also arrived in the eastern part to reinforce the fight against rebels.