M23 rebels welcome US-brokered ceasefire in eastern DR Congo
M23, one of the rebel groups fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo said Tuesday it welcomed the 72-hour ceasefire brokered by the US.
White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson announced on Monday that a 72-hour ceasefire had been agreed to by the parties involved in the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and is supported by both the DR Congo and Rwanda.
“Although the M23 did not take part in the decision for the 72-hour ceasefire, it welcomes the decision since it is in line with the M23’s existing signed ceasefire of March 7, 2023,” Lawrence Kanyuka, the rebel group’s spokesperson said in a statement.
Kanyuka, however, warned that if the DR Congo government coalition forces attack their positions the rebels will not hesitate to defend themselves.
“The M23 reiterates its commitment to resolve the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC peacefully by addressing the root causes of the conflict,” he said.
Kinshasa accuses Kigali of backing M23 rebels since its resurgence in Nov.2021, a charge Rwanda consistently denies.
Watson said the US government will use its intelligence and diplomatic resources to monitor the activities by armed forces and non-state armed groups during the ceasefire.
The latest clashes between Congolese forces and M23 come as the government in Kinshasa pushes regional and UN peacekeeping forces to pull out of the country.
Troops from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and South Sudan deployed in Nov. 2022 as part of the multinational force in the eastern DR Congo started their withdrawal from the country last Sunday after authorities in Kinshasa declined to renew the force’s mandate.
Congolese President Felix Thisekedi accused the force of cohabiting with the rebels rather than forcing them to lay down their arms.
Thisekedi has also asked the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) deployed in eastern DR Congo since 1999 to accelerate its withdrawal.
