The Rwanda-DRC crisis continues to deepen. The Congolese President headed a Supreme Defense Council late Wednesday, to review the response to what the Democratic Republic of Congo calls a Rwandan invasion.
After the meeting, the government said it considered suspending all bilateral agreements with its neighbor accusing him of backing the M23 rebels.
“The Supreme Defence Council has taken the following measures: first, it demands that Rwanda immediately withdraw its troops, operating under the cover of the terrorist M23 group, from Congolese territory; Secondly. it requests that the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo suspends all protocols of agreements, accords and conventions concluded with Rwanda“, Patrick Muyaya, the Minister of communication and spokesperson of the government said.
The new development of the crisis comes after several demonstrations against Rwanda took place in different Congolese cities. On Monday, the border town of Bunagana, was seized by the rebels forcing thousands of residents to flee.
Rwanda and Uganda have denied for years that they support the M23 group.
Rwanda’s government, meanwhile, has blamed Congolese forces for injuring several civilians in cross-border shelling.
The M23 rose to prominence about a decade ago when its fighters seized Goma, the largest city in DR Congo’s east which sits along the border with Rwanda.
The rebels were pushed out of Goma and, after a peace deal, many of M23′s fighters were integrated into DR Congo’s national military.
But earlier this year the rebels made a comeback, launching an offensive against DR Congo’s military after saying the government had failed to live up to its decade-long promises.
Kenya’s President called for the newly founded East African Regional Force to be activated for eastern DR Congo.
