U.S. Urges Rwanda at Security Council to Withdraw Troops From DR Congo and End M23 Support
The United States has urged Rwanda to withdraw its troops and military equipment from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and stop supporting the M23 rebel group, warning that continued interference could undermine efforts to restore peace in the Great Lakes region, Kenya's People Daily reported on October 14.
US Representative to the United Nations Jeffrey Bartos made the call during a UN Security Council briefing on the Great Lakes region on Tuesday, October 13. Bartos said progress in addressing armed groups operating in eastern DRC must be accompanied by Rwanda fulfilling its commitments under the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity. "Rwanda must immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops and military equipment from the DRC and cease all support to M23," Bartos stated.
The US also called on the Congolese government to accelerate efforts to neutralise the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and to end any cooperation between elements of its armed forces and the FDLR. Bartos welcomed the repatriation of more than 120 FDLR ex-combatants and family members, supported by the UN mission MONUSCO, and described the DRC's transfer of 15 detainees to AFC/M23 under a prisoner exchange protocol as a welcome confidence-building measure.
Bartos urged the DRC and Rwanda to fully implement their obligations under the Washington Accords, uphold the ceasefire, stop harmful drone strikes and avoid inflammatory rhetoric. He said Washington would continue taking action against individuals and groups accused of obstructing peace, abusing civilians or benefiting from the illegal exploitation of the DRC's natural resources. He also expressed concern over the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC, stressing that health workers needed safe and unhindered access to affected communities.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 联合国安理会会议厅。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，Wikiweeki 摄，CC BY 4.0 授权
