The rebel group March 23 Movement (M23) has denounced new attacks by the Army of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) despite the ceasefire and said it «will not stand idly by while the population is massacred».
Thus, it rejected Kinshasa’s accusations of non-compliance with its commitments and reiterated that «it is ready to cede other zones in accordance with the resolutions of the Luanda mini-summit», held in November 2022.
The aforementioned summit in Luanda was attended by the presidents of DRC and Rwanda, Felix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame, respectively, and agreed on a ceasefire and a process for the withdrawal of the rebels. Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the group, something denied by the Rwandan authorities.
The M23 stressed in a statement that it is complying with the commitments reached at the mini-summit in Luanda, including its withdrawal from Kibumba and Rumangabo, and added that «the government coalition in Kinshasa continues to attack different positions, violating the recommendations» of that meeting.
Thus, he stressed that «the resolutions of the mini-summit in Luanda do not only affect the M23, but all the parties involved in the crisis» and added that «the recommendations to the government of Kinshasa must also be applied».
The group also stressed that «the disarmament of foreign and local armed groups» and the implementation of «a definitive plan for the return of refugees and internally displaced persons» should also be implemented. «The M23 calls on the Kinshasa government to cease its warmongering rhetoric, aimed at damaging the peace process in Nairobi, the resolutions of the Luanda mini-summit and to conceal the ongoing extermination of our populations,» it stressed.
In this line, he denounced «a reinforcement» of «the coalition of the government of Kinshasa», which includes militias such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), (CODECO) and the Mai-Mai, as well as «European mercenaries». «The M23 remains committed to the implementation of the resolutions of Bujumbura and the mini-summit of Luanda and supports the regional efforts to establish peace in the DRC», it stated in its communiqué, signed by its spokesman, Lawrende Kanyuka.
The communiqué was issued hours after the Rwandan government accused the DRC of making «a selective reading» of the communiqué issued after the Luanda mini-summit and warned that it «can only be seen as a threat of imminent attacks against Rwanda».
Kigali said Kinshasa has «a plan» to «pull out of the Nairobi and Luanda peace process» by provoking «the exit of the force» deployed by the East African Community (EAC) to try to resolve the conflict. «The DRC’s attempts to sabotage or abandon these regional agreements can only be seen as a decision to perpetuate conflict and insecurity,» he argued.
«The Luanda communiqué also calls for the cessation of all political and military support to the genocidal FDLR militia — an armed rebel group founded and composed mainly of Hutus responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda — and other illegal armed groups,» the Rwandan government recalled in a statement.
«DRC is violating this decision by continuing to arm and fight alongside multiple illegal armed groups in eastern DRC. This is also a clear violation of the Nairobi process, aimed at the disarmament and demobilization of these armed groups, and a threat to Rwanda’s security,» it said.
He also pointed out that «the recruitment of foreign mercenaries by the DRC is a clear indication that the DRC is preparing for war, not peace» and criticized Kinshasa for «totally ignoring» the clause of the Luanda agreement on the resolution of the refugee issue.
«The DRC government has failed to recognize the plight of these refugees and has made no efforts to facilitate their safe return to their homes in DRC,» he said, while outlining that «DRC’s neighboring countries and the Great Lakes region as a whole cannot afford more failed peace initiatives.»
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
