The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has decided on Saturday to expel the Rwandan ambassador to the country, on the grounds that the African country supports the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23), made up mainly of Tutsis, which took up arms again in 2021.
The armed group seized the towns of Kiwanja and Rutshuru, located along the main road serving Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, located in the east of the country and bordering Rwanda.
This seems to have been the reason for the executive’s decision to expel the diplomatic representative, according to Congolese spokesman Patrick Muyaya, as reported by Radio France International (RFI).
Previously, UN experts had accused Uganda and Rwanda of supporting the rebels, although both countries denied doing so.
The M23 has been accused since November 2021 of carrying out attacks against Army positions in North Kivu, despite the Congolese authorities and the M23 signed in December 2013 a peace agreement following fighting 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.
