US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for diplomatic solutions in phone talks with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi about the volatile tensions at their borders.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke separately with DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Monday.
With both presidents, the State Department said that the Secretary discussed the volatile situation and worsening humanitarian crisis along the border between Rwanda and the DRC.
The Secretary advocated for a diplomatic solution to the tensions between the two countries and urged each side take measures to de-escalate the situation, including removing troops from the border.
Kinshasa’s military late is accusing Rwandan forces of entering its border area, a claim denied by Kigali, which has also been accused of backing rebels in eastern DR Congo.
The office of Rwandan President Kagame confirmed that Kagame had a productive call with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to discuss the deterioration of the security situation in Eastern DRC, as well as the need for de-escalation of hostilities and a political resolution to the conflict.
President Kagame is said to have reiterated Rwanda’s firm support for the ongoing regional processes to bring peace and stability to DRC and the region. DR-Congo Presidential office has not made any comment.
In May this year, Angola’s President Joao Lourenco said that he did not think an all-out war between Rwanda and DR Congo was on the horizon. He said he was hopeful that his mediation efforts to restore peace in DR Congo’s east would bear fruit. Lourenco explained that the M23 rebel group was upholding a ceasefire reached a few weeks ago and that the next step was for the group to be contained and disarmed.
Lourenco said Angola was ready to send 500 troops to the region to accomplish this task. He stressed that what was needed now was to speed up the process, indicating that the Congolese authorities still had to fully prepare for that stage.
He said Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame had been helpful in putting Angolan officials in contact with the M23 leadership. As such, he said this showed Kagame was keen to help find a solution rather than fueling violence, as per the claims of Congolese authorities.
Meanwhile, civil society groups have reported that at least fifteen people, residents of the villages Kibati, Kiziba and Muja in the territory of Nyiragongo (North Kivu), were killed by M23 rebels in Virunga national park a few days ago.
According to the civil society of Nyiragongo, which provided this information on Tuesday, November 7, the victims are notably sellers who are used to fetching bags of charcoal and potatoes, but also residents who go to cultivate in the park region, notably towards Shaeru, a area occupied by the rebels.
