The government and the M23 rebellion are still at odds in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), despite numerous diplomatic efforts. The UN Security Council has urged negotiations, which Kinshasa has rejected, and Angola has announced the deployment of soldiers, much like it did 25 years ago.
Although the Congolese government and diplomats have expressed their willingness to explore the peace processes initiated in Nairobi and Luanda, which aim to bring together various armed groups in the region, the M23 rebellion persists, The majority Tutsi rebellion, which Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting, is attempting to control the wealth in the eastern Congo.
Despite Kigali’s denials, Rwanda is clearly supporting the M23 rebellion, according to Nicolas de Rivière, France’s UN ambassador, who made this claim after visiting the DRC with a Security Council delegation. The Congolese government is pleading with the international community to sanction Rwanda for its aggression. De Rivière and Michel-Xavier Obiang, his Gabonese colleague, emphasize the necessity of a political settlement through discussion despite the risk of sanctions.
Placide Nzilamba, a North Kivu civil society activist, has condemned the Security Council for failing to demand that Rwanda evacuate its soldiers. There is a serious humanitarian catastrophe as a result of the 800,000+ people who have been displaced by the battle with the M23 insurgency.
Despite diplomatic efforts, the Congolese government has refused to negotiate with the M23, as it considers it a terrorist movement, so the Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula also stated that negotiations with the group were out of the question.