DRC accuses the M23 of violating the ceasefire

Guterres condemns violence against civilians and reiterates his call to lay down his arms

MADRID, 8 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has accused this Tuesday the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23) of violating the ceasefire that had been announced this Tuesday with the aim of "opening the way to direct dialogue" with the Congolese government to try to reach a peace agreement.

"The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) once again bring to the attention of national and international opinion a new violation not only of the ceasefire, but also of International Humanitarian Law by the Rwandan Army under the M23" , read a statement.

Lieutenant Colonel Guillaume Ndjike Kaiko has indicated that the M23 has attacked the position of the Congolese Army in the town of Karuba, located in the province of North Kivu, adding that "the fight is underway". In addition, he has denounced attacks during the day on Monday in the town of Sake against several military bases, including one of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

"Faced with crimes against humanity (...) and this umpteenth violation of the will of heads of state", the FARDC have appealed to the international community "to take note of these serious facts and draw all the necessary consequences".

The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has condemned this Tuesday "all violence against civilians" and has "renewed his call on all Congolese and foreign armed groups to lay down their arms."

Guterres' spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, has reported that the Secretary General has once again asked the M23 "to respect the ceasefire in order to create the conditions for its total and effective withdrawal from all the occupied areas in the east of the Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo".

The M23 announced on Tuesday the entry into force of a ceasefire, indicating that the decision is in line with the results of the contacts held in Angola and "the decisions adopted in different regional summits" in Burundi, Kenya and Ethiopia, "all aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC".

The rebel group is made up mainly of Congolese Tutsis and operates mainly in the North Kivu province. Following a conflict between 2012 and 2013, the RDC and the group signed a peace agreement in December. In these combats, the DRC Army had the support of United Nations troops.

The group launched a new offensive in October 2022, intensified as of November, which has caused a diplomatic crisis between the DRC and Rwanda over their role in the conflict. UN experts pointed out in December to the existence of "substantial evidence" of "direct intervention" by the Rwandan Army in the conflict.

They also highlighted a collusion between the Congolese Army and various armed groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the Mai-Mai, to combat the M23, including the proposal by armed groups to "mobilize 600 combatants". to reinforce the ranks of the Armed Forces.

Rwanda has accused the DRC of supporting the FDLR -- a rebel armed group founded and composed mainly of Hutus responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda -- and of using the Mai-Mai militias -- Congolese nationalist militias formed to defend their territory. against the many rebel groups that have been active since the 1990s-- in the context of the conflict. Likewise, he has denounced discrimination and acts of hate against the Tutsi minority in the neighboring country.