Tension in the Democratic Republic of Congo has increased this weekend due to the great advance of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group in the east of the country, closer and closer to the capital of North Kivu province, and in the midst of a new diplomatic crisis after the expulsion order of the ambassador of Rwanda, a country accused by the Congolese authorities of collaborating with these militias.
The spokesman of the Congolese government, Patrick Muyaya, recognized this past Saturday that the advance of the M23 in the localities of Kiwanja and, above all, Rutshuru, represents a «threat to national security», according to declarations collected by the Congolese news portal Politico. The capture of the center of Ruthsuru clears in principle the way for the rebels to the capital of North Kivu, Goma, close to Rwanda, and right now the place where thousands of people are escaping to throughout this weekend.
The Congolese government has blamed this advance on the «massive arrival in recent days of elements of the Rwandan army to support the M23 terrorists» with a view to a «general offensive against the positions of the Congolese armed forces». For this reason, the Higher Council of Defense of the DRC ended up proposing to the government the immediate expulsion of the Rwandan ambassador, Vincent Karega.
The M23 has been accused since November 2021 of carrying out attacks against Army positions in North Kivu, despite the fact that the Congolese authorities and the M23 signed in December 2013 a peace agreement following the fighting recorded since 2012 with the Army, which was supported by UN troops.
Relations between DRC and Rwanda have gone through moments of crisis since the massive arrival in eastern DRC of Rwandan Hutus accused of having massacred Tutsis during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. After a period of diplomatic relaxation, the conflict regained intensity in May, when the Congolese government summoned the Rwandan ambassador to denounce the country’s alleged support for the M23.
The M23 has been accused since November 2021 of carrying out attacks against Army positions in North Kivu, despite the fact that the Congolese authorities and the M23 signed a peace agreement in December 2013 following fighting since 2012 with the Army, which was supported by UN troops.
Rwanda has denied from the outset that it is providing support to the M23, while the United Nations and the United States are convinced of the links between Rwanda and this organization, direct heir of successive rebel movements rooted in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
