The United States government has expressed strong disapproval of the Rwandan government’s backing of the M23 armed group, which is presently carrying out violent attacks in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, issued this announcement through a press release titled “Escalation of Hostilities in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,” available on the Department’s website.
The statement highlighted that the M23 armed group, supported by the Rwandan government, is currently subject to sanctions imposed by both the U.S. and the U.N. for various violations.
Furthermore, it underscored that the M23 armed group had launched an incursion into the town of Sake in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in egregious human rights abuses such as displacement, deprivation, and attacks.
Additionally, the statement emphasized the United States government’s call for Rwanda to promptly withdraw all Rwanda Defense Force personnel from the DRC and dismantle its surface-to-air missile systems.
Moreover, the US government called on the M23 armed group to immediately cease hostilities and retreat from its current positions surrounding Sake and Goma.
