(Africanews) – The United States has issued a strong call for Rwanda to withdraw its military forces from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and to immediately halt all support for the M23 rebel group, signaling a more assertive stance on the worsening crisis in the region.
In a digital press briefing, U.S. Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Corina Sanders, condemned Rwanda’s military involvement in the DRC, describing it as “unacceptable” and a major source of regional instability.
“The presence of Rwandan Defense Forces on Congolese territory is not helping the situation. It must end,” Sanders stated. “The M23 would not be the military force it is today without external support, particularly from Rwanda.”
This sharp rebuke aligns with findings from multiple United Nations reports that have detailed Rwanda’s military backing of M23—an armed group widely accused of committing serious human rights violations and displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians in eastern Congo.
While acknowledging that both the Congolese army (FARDC) and M23 rebels have been implicated in abuses, U.S. officials stressed that the scale and systematic nature of atrocities by M23 require urgent international condemnation and response.
Boulos called for renewed commitment to the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes and emphasized that long-term stability in the Great Lakes region depends on respect for Congo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
This statement represents one of the most direct criticisms of Rwanda by the U.S. in recent years and underscores growing international frustration over the prolonged conflict in eastern DRC, which continues to escalate despite numerous ceasefire agreements and peace efforts.
