Govt: Blaming the Congolese crisis on Rwanda is a distraction

Rwanda has dismissed continued accusations against Kigali of supporting the Congolese armed group M23 by the international community saying it is a distraction from addressing the real cause of continued conflict in eastern DR Congo. It is a mistake to conflate the measures that Rwanda has put in place to guard its borders with support for any particular armed group in DRC, stated a communique issued by the government of Rwanda on December 21. “This tired old blame game undermines ongoing efforts by regional leaders to find lasting peace, particularly the Nairobi and Luanda initiatives, to which Rwanda is fully committed.” On many occasions, the Congolese government and some members of the international community have accused Rwanda of backing M23, and this has always been dismissed by Kigali. The statement adds: “The sensationalized “Kishishe massacre”, a fabrication of the DRC government that it attributed to M23 has quickly spread without any investigation of the facts by any credible entity, despite indications that the incident was in fact an armed confrontation between M23 and illegal armed groups allied to FARDC.” “This is symbolic of how the mess in the DRC has been encouraged and sustained for decades.” There are more than 130 armed groups in DR Congo and the Congolese armed forces together with its auxiliary armed groups, including the genocidal remnant militia FDLR, have committed several abuses against civilians, especially the Rwandophones as detailed in reports of the UN and other regional and international organizations. “Blaming Rwanda reflects an unwillingness on the part of the international community to face up to the root causes of conflict in Eastern DRC, and to demand true accountability from the state and non-state actors who are responsible for the resulting legacy of failure.” Besides different territorial violations, the Congolese authorities have also given license to virulent anti-Rwandophone and anti-Tutsi hate speech, public incitement, mob killings, and targeted violence, Violations include a brutal attack in October 2019 in Kinigi, Northern part of Rwanda, several cross-border rocket shelling incidents earlier this year, incursions into Rwanda by soldiers of the Congolese armed forces, and an airspace violation by a Congolese fighter jet in November. The latest developments around the issue include the decision by the United Nations Security Council to end a decade-long arms purchase ban on DR Congo, exempting the latter’s military to buy new weapons without having to seek permission from the body's sanctions committee. Many regional experts have warned that this may instead end up putting more lethal arms in the hands of armed groups. Rwanda called on the international community to have the decency to address the persecution of a group of Congolese citizens, as well as how refugees of the same group can exercise their right to return safely to their country instead of languishing in refugee camps permanently. Rwanda is host to over 80,000 Congolese refugees living in camps, many for over 20 years.

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Govt: Blaming the Congolese crisis on Rwanda is a distraction