According to the United States, the situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is deteriorating due to increased violence, which is being attributed to the armed group M23 that is allegedly backed by Rwanda.
The U.S. State Department released a statement urging M23 to immediately cease hostilities and withdraw from its current positions around Sake and Goma.
In its statement, the United States denounced Rwanda’s support for the M23 armed group and demanded that Rwanda remove all of its military personnel from the DRC and take away surface-to-air missile systems that pose a threat to the lives of civilians, the U.N., regional peacekeepers, humanitarian workers, and commercial flights in eastern DRC. Rwanda has denied supporting the rebels.
The statement also called on the DRC to continue supporting confidence-building measures by ceasing cooperation with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda armed group.
The conflict involving the M23 rebels, army forces, and self-defense groups has intensified in the DRC, resulting in the displacement of entire communities.
South Africa announced its plan to deploy 2,900 troops as part of its contribution to a force organized by the southern African regional bloc SADC to assist Congo in combating rebel groups.
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Alistair Bell)
