DR Congo calls on UK’s Johnson to pressure Rwanda over row

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo is seeking to exclude Rwanda from a proposed regional force in the country.
• It is the latest flare-up in the row between the two neighbors, who have had tense relations for decades.
• M23, also known as the “March 23 Movement,” is a former Tutsi-dominated rebel group.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is seeking to exclude Rwanda from a proposed regional force in the country, urging Britain to put pressure on Kigali to stop its “aggression,” according to Kinshasa.

It is the latest flare-up in the row between the two neighbors, who have had tense relations for decades and have recently seen sporadic clashes on their shared border.

Read More: DR Congo soldier killed in gunfire on Rwandan border

Kinshasa claimed in a statement that M23 “terrorists” backed by Rwanda had seized and looted the border town of Bunagana on Monday.

The government had previously condemned “a deliberate violation of the territorial integrity” of the DRC.

The statement said that President Felix Tshisekedi chaired an extraordinary meeting of the higher defense council on Wednesday, after which the DRC moved to suspend bilateral accords with Rwanda.

“The security situation in the East of the country continues to deteriorate… fundamentally because Rwanda seeks to occupy our land, rich in gold, coltan and cobalt, for their own exploitation and profit,” Tshisekedi said.

“This is an economic war for the battle of resources, fought by Rwanda’s terrorist gangs.”

Tshisekedi called on the international community, the US and UK in particular, “to condemn this invasion, and pressure Rwanda to withdraw its troops from our land”.

He said he hoped London would be able to leverage its controversial agreement with Kigali to take irregular migrants making the Chanel crossing to reach Britain.

“Given the UK’s recent $150 million immigration deal struck with Rwanda, we hope that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be able to leverage his influence,” Tshisekedi said.

Read More: DR Congo rebels seize trading hub on Ugandan borde

Rwanda will next week host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali.

The DRC welcomed a proposal by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to deploy a regional force in eastern DRC to restore peace, but said it would not accept Rwanda’s participation in this joint force.

“The deployment of a regional force made up of countries at the root of the destabilization, atrocities and the plundering of our resources will not bring stability or peace and risks worsening the situation,” Denis Mukwege, a doctor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, said on Twitter.

1/2 Je suis fier d’annoncer la sortie de mon livre, #LaForcedesFemmes, demain en France, en Suisse et en Belgique. Il sera également publié aux Pays-Bas le 21 octobre, au Royaume-Uni le 2 novembre et aux États-Unis le 16 novembre. https://t.co/Be0Msm9oVf pic.twitter.com/0XIm1nQ0I1

Advertisement

— Denis Mukwege (@DenisMukwege) October 13, 2021

The M23, also known as the “March 23 Movement,” is a former Tutsi-dominated rebel group that was defeated in 2013 but resurrected in late 2021.