The Rwandan government has responded to summons by the EU following its stance on the escalating violence in the DRC.
- Rwandan government responds to EU summons over alleged involvement in DRC crisis
- The international community, including the EU, United States, and African Union, has called for Rwanda to de-escalate military operations in the DRC
- Rwanda expresses support for EAC/SADCC process to establish dialogue and ceasefire
The summons by the European Union (EU) come amid allegations of Rwanda’s interference in the crisis in DRC which has displaced millions, resulted in thousands of deaths, and caused widespread destruction of property.
While Rwandan President Paul Kagame has consistently denied any involvement in the conflict, the international community has maintained pressure on Rwanda, demanding that its military cease operations in the DRC.
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Several bodies which include the European Union, the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the African Union, the United States, the United Nations, and other multinational bodies have joined calls for the warring parties to de-escalate military operations in the eastern African region.
What the EU said
The European Union recently summoned the Rwandan ambassador to the EU over the country’s involvement in the ongoing offensive in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) alongside M23 rebels.
A spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) stated on Friday that the EU “strongly condemns this offensive.”
The EU also denounced the continued use of violence against the DRC’s territorial integrity and demanded that Rwanda immediately withdraw all its troops from Congolese territory and cease support for M23 and other armed groups.
Rwanda responds
Rwanda’s government has expressed its full support for the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) process, which aims to establish a framework for direct dialogue between all parties involved in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This process, endorsed by the African Union Summit, calls for a cessation of hostilities, neutralization of the DRC-backed Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (French: Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR), and the withdrawal of all foreign forces, ultimately leading to the lifting of Rwanda’s defensive measures.
Rwanda’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Busingye Johnston, emphasized the need for the European Union to also apply equal pressure on all parties involved to achieve a ceasefire.
“We are urging the EU to apply the same pressure on all parties involved so that a ceasefire can be attained. Rwanda deplores the EU’s selective approach to this crisis and the absence of equal pressure on Kinshasa for its role in escalating the conflict. Ceasefire cannot be held on only one of the parties involved directly or indirectly.” the statement noted.
Recent sanctions on Rwanda
The European Parliament has urged the European Union to freeze direct budget support for Rwanda until the country severs ties with the Tutsi-led M23 rebels and allow humanitarian access to areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) under rebel control.
The parliament condemned Rwanda’s occupation of Goma and other eastern DRC territories, labelling it a breach of the DRC’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Additionally, the parliament called for the suspension of a memorandum of understanding between Rwanda and the EU, which aims to support Rwandan supplies of strategic minerals. This move is intended to pressure Rwanda to cease its interference in the DRC.
In a related development, the United States imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Minister of State for Regional Integration, James Kabarebe, and a senior member of an armed group, citing their alleged roles in the conflict in eastern DRC.
Rwanda’s foreign ministry responded, condemning the US decision as “unjustified and unfounded” and arguing that the sanctions would not resolve the conflict in the DRC.
