European Commission Vice President Joseph Borell has called on Rwanda, on behalf of the European Union, to stop supporting the M23 rebels who threaten the security of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, adding that the necessary means must be deployed to put pressure on the Tutsi rebellion to comply with the decisions taken by the heads of state of the East African Community.
The European Union has also called on the DRC to “stop and prevent any cooperation between the FARDC and armed groups, in particular the FDLR.
In December, a UN report highlighted “the direct intervention of the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) on DRC territory”, confirming accusations by several European countries, the US and the DRC that Rwanda is supporting the M23 in North Kivu.
On the other hand, Rwanda has accused the DRC of instrumentalising the conflict for electoral purposes, as the presidential elections are scheduled for December 2023.