Violence Escalates In DR Congo Despite Increasing Calls To End Hostilities.

By Jean Pierre Afadhali

Despite continued regional and international mediation efforts to end the war in volatile Eastern Democratic Republic Congo, fighting has recently escalated leading to increased number of displaced people amid concerns the violence could reach Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu.

The Mini-Summit on Peace and Security was held on February 17, 2023, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was convened by the East African Community (EAC) to discuss the ongoing conflict and insecurity in the eastern region of DRC.

The Summit was attended by the Heads of State and Government of the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as representatives of the African Union and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

According to EAC, the participants expressed their deep concern over the continued violence and insecurity in the eastern DRC, and called for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of all armed groups from the region. They also reaffirmed their support for the Luanda Roadmap, a regional peace initiative, and called upon the international community for humanitarian assistance to the displaced populations in the eastern DRC.

Recently, heavy fighting took place around Sake Town that is close to Goma, between M23 and DRC’s armed forces. Kinshasa continues to accuse Kigali of backing rebels that have seized vast swathes of North Kivu since 2022. Rwanda has consistently denied involvement in the conflict, but the United Nations and USA say Kigali is backing M23 rebels.

In a press statement released today, the spokesperson of US Department of state, Mathew Miller, said, The United States strongly condemns the worsening violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) caused by the actions of “the Rwanda-backed, U.S.- and UN-sanctioned M23 armed group, including its recent incursions into the town of Sake.”

 The US department spokesperson added “this escalation has increased the risk to millions of people already exposed to human rights abuses including displacement, deprivation, and attacks.”

Meanwhile, the USA has called on M23 to immediately cease hostilities and withdraw from its current positions around Sake and Goma and in accordance with the Luanda and Nairobi processes. 

The United States  has also condemned “ Rwanda’s support for the M23 armed group and has called on on Rwanda to immediately withdraw all Rwanda Defense Force personnel from the DRC and remove its surface-to-air missile systems, which threaten the lives of civilians, UN and other regional peacekeepers, humanitarian actors, and commercial flights in eastern DRC.”

Several peace talks have been held in Nairobi, Kenya, Bujumbura, Burundi, and Luanda Angola to end hostilities, but it appears they have failed to silence guns in the volatile North Kivu that is rich in minerals.

Amid tension in the Great Lakes of Africa, the USA Department of state further noted “It is essential that all states respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and hold accountable all actors for human rights abuses in the conflict in eastern DRC. “

Washington also called on the government of the DRC to continue to support confidence building measures, including “ceasing cooperation with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group named as a negative force’ by regional bodies and the government of the DRC, and which exposes the civilian population to risk.”

Recently, Southern Africa Development Authority (SADC) deployed its troops led by South Africa to support DRC’s armed forces. Two soldiers from the South African contingent have been killed in ongoing fighting around Sake town.

“We continue to support regional diplomatic efforts that promote de-escalation and create the conditions for lasting peace in DRC and we call on all sides to participate constructively in reaching a negotiated solution,” noted Miller.