The United States has condemned the continued collaboration between DR Congo’s armed forces (FARDC) and the FDLR, a terrorist group composed of remnants of those who committed the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Rwanda has for nearly three decades expressed concern over the continued existence of the FDLR, a sanctioned terror group, in DR Congo from where they continue to promote their genocidal campaign.
This is excerberated by the group&039;s open alliance with the national army despite the crimes against humanity they have committed over the years.
Faced with the recent M23 rebel offensive in North Kivu province, the Congolese army renewed its alliance with armed groups, including FDLR.
ALSO READ: Inside the secret DR Congo-FDLR pact
Speaking during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on the situation in DR Congo, the US Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs, Robert Wood said his country "has for long been concerned by the FARDC’s collaboration with armed groups in the east, especially the FDLR.”
In January, the US State Department had also called on the Kinshasa government to end the collaboration between the FARDC and FDLR.
ALSO READ: EU condemns FARDC collusion with FDLR, hate speech
Wood said; "We reiterate our call on the DRC government to fully professionalize its security forces and to immediately end cooperation with armed groups.”
In condemning the continued alliance between the DR Congo national army, FARDC, Wood also noted that the level of "disinformation and hateful rhetoric directed towards Rwanda,” is increasingly putting civilians and peacekeepers in harm’s way.
ALSO READ: US condemns DR Congo, FDLR collaboration
He said: "While in Kinshasa, I called on DR Congo government officials to denounce hate speech, hold individuals accountable for inciting violence, and to correct these damaging narratives. I repeat those messages today...the Government of the DR Congo and its regional and international partners cannot neglect this ongoing violence.”
The hate speech, mostly perpetuated by officials close to the Kinshasa regime, including officers serving in security organs, has mainly targeted Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese.
The hate speech has resulted in attacks on the targeted group where many have lost their lives, without consequence to the killers.
ALSO READ: Anger as Congolese minister Muyaya absolves FDLR terrorists
Although Wood called on Rwanda to end support to the M23 rebel group, Rwanda has denied these allegations for which no evidence has been presented.
In his address to the Security Council Briefing Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Claver Gatete said that Rwanda has repeatedly noted that the crisis in the Eastern DR Congo was started by and is the primary responsibility of the Congolese government.
"Unfortunately, the situation continues to deteriorate due to DRC's leaders' lack of political will, urgency, and inaction.
"It has become evident that even though this conflict continues to inflict terrible suffering on civilian populations, the government of the DRC is using it as a political stunt to obtain domestic support and silence opposition ahead of the upcoming elections,” he said.
Scapegoating Rwanda, according to Gatete, doesn't change the fact that this conflict stems from immense governance failures in the socio-political, economic, and military arenas.
He went on to paint a more elaborate picture of Rwanda’s primary concerns regarding the situation in the eastern DR Congo saying that the Congolese government has refused to adhere to all the peace plans from the regional processes, a fact evident to all.
"The Nairobi and Luanda agreements, in particular, have 4 and 11 items, respectively. In both agreements, the first item is ceasefire and cessation of hostilities. Instead of implementing these agreements, the DR Congo government is instead stocking the conflict by encouraging hate speech, and recruiting local armed groups and mercenaries to fight alongside FARDC,” he said.
He retaliated Rwanda’s concerns pertaining to FDLR saying that even though the UN peacekeeping force and the UNSC have full knowledge of the fact that the DR Congo Government provides FDLR with weapons and allows them to fight alongside the FARDC, no action has been taken.
"As a result of the FARDC and FDLR alliance, Rwanda's territorial integrity has been violated multiple times over the years. Like all states, Rwanda reserves the right to defend its borders and citizens against cross-border attacks,” he said.
In his address, the Congolese permanent representative to the United Nations, Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, did not deny the existence of FDLR in his country or its collaboration with DR Congo national army, but rather said that; "the FDLR are too old to pose a threat to Rwanda.”
ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: A sequence of provocations against Rwanda
Relations between Rwanda and DR Congo continue to worsen every other day, with the number of provocation incidents rising and according to the UN Secretary General's Special Representative in DR Congo, Bintou Keita, such provocations only make the situation even worse.
"While insecurity spreads, tensions between the DRC and Rwanda have continued to increase, resulting in several cross-border incidents. These confrontations pose a severe risk of regional escalation,” she said while addressing the UNSC briefing.