The United States warned Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo at the United Nations on Tuesday that they “must walk back from the brink of war,” as tensions between the neighbors ratchet up.
Kinshasa, the United Nations and Western countries say Rwanda is supporting a rebel group active in eastern DRC in a bid to control vast mineral resources in the region, an allegation Kigali denies.
After several months of relative calm, intense fighting resumed last month around the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
“Parties to the conflict and regional actors should immediately resume the Nairobi and Rwanda [peace] processes — diplomatic efforts, not military conflict, are the only path for a negotiated solution and a sustainable peace,” said Robert Wood, an American envoy to the U.N., at an emergency meeting concerning the DRC.
After years of dormancy, the M23 (March 23 Movement) took up arms again in late 2021 and has since seized vast swathes of North Kivu province.
Since early February, Goma — which stands between Lake Kivu and the Rwandan border — has been practically cut off from the country’s interior.
The DRC’s military is supported by myriad local armed groups, two foreign private military companies, and the presence of U.N. peacekeepers and troops from the Southern African Development Community.