Rwanda’s ambassador to the United Nations, Claver Gatete, has denounced the silence of the UN Security Council on the crisis in the Congolese province of North Kivu and, in particular, on his country’s allegations of a possible alliance of the Congolese Army with the militias of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
«When is the international community going to address the persistence of the FDLR and its alliance with the Army of the Democratic Republic of Congo? This is a terrorist and sanctioned group, composed of remnants of the force that committed genocide against the Tutsis in 1994,» Gatete lamented in statements reported by the ‘New Times’, referring to the dreaded Interahamwe militias.
These accusations take place in the midst of a precarious ceasefire in North Kivu, in eastern DRC, ravaged for weeks by fighting between the Congolese army and the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23), accused by the Congolese government of complicity with the Rwandan government. Rwanda categorically denies that this is the case.
«When will we address the violations of Rwanda’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by DRC, which occurred on several occasions, as verified by the Enhanced Joint Verification Mechanism?» the ambassador lamented.
This mechanism includes military experts from member states of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and monitors and investigates security incidents in the area.
Such incidents include, for example, the one last month when a Congolese military officer who crossed the border between the two countries opened fire on a watchtower before being shot dead by Rwandan forces.
