In the wake of the M23 rebels capturing the eastern Congolese town of Bungana, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the deployment of the East African Regional Force to North and South Kivu in coordination with United Nations (UN) peacekeepers. Demanding an “immediate cessation of all hostilities” in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenyatta said the regional security forces would be tasked with establishing a “weapons free zone,” wherein all armed groups “lay down arms immediately and unconditionally” and “commit to a political process.”
The Kenyan president has made numerous overtures to facilitate peace in eastern DRC in coordination with other regional leaders. In April, he held a joint meeting with the leaders of DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. He held another round of talks with his counterparts on both Tuesday and Wednesday under the Nairobi Process. Furthermore, he called for another meeting of the Nairobi Process on June 19 to finalise the deployment of the regional force, aiming to “stabilise the zone and enforce peace” by supporting “an orderly and permanent disarmament process.”
The East African Regional Force shall be deployed to the Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces immediately to STABILIZE the zone and ENFORCE peace in support of the DRC security forces and in close coordination with MONUSCO pic.twitter.com/mQpW0D4MXF
— Government of Uganda (@GovUganda) June 15, 2022
Kenyatta’s announcement comes against the backdrop of increasingly inflammatory comments by both the DRC and Rwanda, whom Kinshasa accused of sponsoring the M23 rebels. In fact, on Wednesday, Congolese military spokesperson Gen. Sylvain Ekenge accused Rwandan forces of supporting the rebels’ capture of Bungana. Crucially, he warned, “Rwanda does not like us. We are not afraid of it and we will fight it,” adding, “If it wants war, it will have war. No one will occupy a single centimetre of our territory.”
Such comments have fuelled severe popular discontent in DRC, which saw violent anti-Rwanda demonstrations in the city of Goma on Wednesday. Thousands of Congolese citizens voiced support for the armed forces, raiding and looting Rwandan owned shops, while also urging the DRC army and government to suspend all diplomatic ties with its neighbour and even calling on the government to provide the people with uniforms and weapons so they can fight alongside the army.
The Chairman of @jumuiya, H.E Uhuru Kenyatta notes, with concern, that recent developments in DRC including, open hostilities, create a serious threat to the success of the regional leadership’s work including the promotion of outcomes of the Inter-Congolese (DRC) consultations. pic.twitter.com/mQmXpV68Mv
— Government of Uganda (@GovUganda) June 15, 2022
The protests came in response to Bungana falling into the hands of the M23 on Monday as the rebels forced the army to seek refuge in Ugandan territory. The town is a strategic chokehold, as it acts as a hub for international aid agencies, including UN peacekeeping forces under MONUSCO.
Monday’s offensive has led to more than 30,000 asylum seekers and 137 Congolese soldiers crossing into Uganda.
In a statement, the Congolese army accused Rwanda of violating “the intangibility of our border and the integrity of our territory,” adding that it constituted “neither more nor less than an invasion of the DRC.”
In response, Congo’s Defence Council has urged the government to “suspend all memorandums of understanding, agreements, and conventions concluded with Kigali.” It also demanded an immediate withdrawal of Rwandan forces stationed in the Congolese soil, doubling down on claims made last week that Rwanda had sent 500 disguised soldiers into the Tshanzu area in North Kivu province.
Deeply concerned about the rising insecurity in #DRC. @MONUSCO continues to protect civilians, support national & regional political efforts, and combat hate speech. We are committed to finding & supporting solutions that advance peace & decrease tensions. https://t.co/21JeiQl0ns
— Jean-Pierre Lacroix (@Lacroix_UN) June 13, 2022
In the past, the UN has corroborated the DRC’s claims that Rwanda is supporting the M23 rebels. Likewise, the United States’ Senate Foreign Relations Committee has said, “Rwandan support for M23 rebels who are attacking civilians, UN peacekeepers, and FARDC in eastern DRC is unacceptable.”
Kigali has denied all such accusations, claiming that it has no intention of being drawn into an “internal matter” of the DRC. It put out a “fake news alert,” asserting that claims by the DRC that the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) was involved in the capture of Bungana are unfounded.
Furthermore, government spokesperson Yolande Makolo accused the UN of “taking sides” in the ongoing conflict and demanded a “thorough and unbiased analysis of the situation in Eastern DRC” for finding lasting solutions. She alleged that MONUSCO forces are “complicit” in the instability and violence in eastern DRC.
Nobody has been concerned when FDLR & its splinter groups (incl. those linked to Rusesabagina & his FLN militia) wreaked havoc on E.DRC & tried, unsuccessfully, to terrorize Rwandans. Time to be consistent, comprehensive & serious in bring lasting peace to the Great Lakes Region.
— Yolande Makolo 🇷🇼 (@YolandeMakolo) June 14, 2022
Likewise, she responded to the US’ Senate Foreign Relations Committee of “fuelling conflict and tensions.”
Meanwhile, M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma has demanded direct talks with the government to address the rebels’ grievances, claiming that the group’s “objective is not to wage war.” He also dismissed claims about receiving Rwandan support and instead lambasted the Congolese government for failing to fulfil the terms of a 2009 agreement under which the army was to incorporate rebel fighters.
PRESS RELEASE https://t.co/SZHxw6QC4J pic.twitter.com/qtXWOM38W4
— Rwanda Defence Force (@RwandaMoD) June 14, 2022
Relations between the DRC and Rwanda have been strained since the 1994 genocide, following which many ethnic Hutus fled to the DRC, after having killed at least 800,000 ethnic Tutsis.
Rwanda argues that the FLDR, which it claims is backed by the armed forces of the DRC, is made up of Hutus who have launched several cross-border attacks. Meanwhile, the M23 is made up of Tutsis who claim they are merely fighting back against the FLDR Hutu insurgents. The conflict has displaced over 100,000 people.
By taking sides in this conflict, MONUSCO has contributed significantly to the intransigence of the DRC Government in cross-border shelling of Rwandan territory & in evading responsibility for its own internal issues. 3/4
— Yolande Makolo 🇷🇼 (@YolandeMakolo) June 13, 2022
In light of the spike in violence, Ugandan Finance Minister Matia Kasaija on Monday announced an increase in the defence budget, wherein Ugandan forces will partner with the Congolese counterparts to ensure the “pacification” of eastern DRC.
Against this backdrop, the African Union Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat has called for “an immediate cessation (...) of all military activity that poses any threat” to the two nations and called on them to “resolve any dispute through dialogue and fraternal consultation.”