US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken had a productive phone call with Rwandan President Paul Kagame around Security in eastern DR Congo.
A statement issued by the US Department of State says, “The two discussed the volatile situation along the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)”.
During a productive conversation, Secretary Blinken updated President Kagame on the recent visit of Acting Deputy Secretary Nuland to Kinshasa to meet with President Felix Tshisekedi.
The Secretary relayed U.S. advocacy for a diplomatic solution to the tensions between the two countries and requested for each side to take measures to de-escalate the situation.
Blinken on his own visit to the region last year reiterated fears that Rwanda is supporting the M23 rebels, who relaunched their armed campaign in Eastern DRC in late 2021.
However, Rwanda has denied supporting M23 rebels and accuses Kinshasa of supporting Hutu rebels of FDLR, a group that counts among its number the original members of the Interahamwe that carried out the 1994 Tutsi Genocide in Rwanda.
The M23 was formed in 2012 claiming to defend Congolese Tutsis against the Hutu Power militia FDLR as well as area Mai-Mai, community militias mostly created and supported by the Congolese government.
The M23 first made a name for itself when it took the eastern DRC city of Goma in 2012, before being driven out and going dormant. But it took up arms again at the end of 2021, accusing the DRC of not having kept its promise to integrate its fighters into the army. End)