The UK has called for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from the DRC, as it called for immediate cessation of hostilities and return to dialogue via African-led peace processes.
Foreign Affairs Secretary of State David Lammy also said the advance of M23 and the Rwandan Defence Force into Bukavu is a violation of DRC’s sovereignty and a breach of the UN charter
“Rwanda must withdraw its troops… There can be no military solution,” Lammy said on X.
In a statement by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the UK on February 16 said the entrance of M23 and the Rwandan Defence Force into Bukavu is a serious escalation that heightens the risk of a wider regional conflict – the human cost of which would be devastating.
“The humanitarian situation in eastern DRC is critical. Close to a million people have already been displaced by this recent offensive and hundreds of thousands are now in desperate need of lifesaving support. It is appalling that vital aid routes have been cut off. All parties must restore humanitarian access as a matter of urgency,” the statement added.
Rwandan-backed M23 rebels entered Bukavu, the second-largest city in the eastern DRC at the weekend seizing the regional governor’s office.
It is the second city after Goma to fall to the rebels in the mineral-rich region in the past few weeks.
The Congolese government has acknowledged its fall and urged residents to stay at home “to avoid being targeted by the occupying forces”.
The UN and European countries have warned that the latest offensive, which has seen hundreds of thousands of people forced from their homes, could spark a wider regional war.
Early February, President Paul Kagame said he doesn’t know if there are Rwandan troops in eastern DRC supporting M23, but noted that Rwanda “would do anything to protect itself.”
