At the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, six individuals from five armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were sanctioned as clashes between the Congolese army and Rwandan-backed M23 Tutsi-led rebels intensify in the region. The fighting has raised concerns of a larger conflict between Congo and Rwanda, potentially involving neighboring and regional forces like South Africa, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, and Malawi.
“The United States firmly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC and lasting peace for all Congolese people. Rwanda and the DRC must walk back from the brink of war,” Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood stated during the Security Council meeting.
The Security Council’s DRC sanctions committee has imposed an arms embargo, travel ban, and asset freeze on two leaders from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), one leader from the Twirwaneho armed group, and one from the National People’s Coalition for the Sovereignty of Congo (CNPSC) rebels. Additionally, the military spokesperson for the Rwandan-backed M23 Tutsi-led rebels and a leader from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) have been added to the U.N. sanctions list.
“These individuals are responsible for numerous abuses,” Wood said of the six sanctioned individuals.
A U.N. peacekeeping force, known as MONUSCO, has been stationed in Congo for over 13 years, taking over from an earlier U.N. operation in 2010 to address insecurity in the country’s east. In December, the U.N. Security Council approved the end of the mission following a request by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in September to expedite the withdrawal of the peacekeepers.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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