 "UNSC to call for unconditional withdrawal of Rwandan troops from Congo")
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is set to vote on Friday on a resolution calling Rwanda’s military to withdraw support for the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and withdraw all troops from Congolese territory “without preconditions.”
The M23 has seized the two largest cities in eastern Congo, raising fears of a wider conflict. Rwanda denies accusations from Congo and the UN that it backs the rebels with arms and troops, insisting it is defending itself against Hutu militias it claims are aligned with the Congolese military.
The seizure of major cities in eastern Congo by the M23 rebel group in recent weeks and statements by key parties show that “the risk of a regional conflagration is more real today than ever before,” said Huang Xia, UN special envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes region, which includes Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.
France’s UN Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere urged the council to quickly adopt a draft resolution circulated by his country two weeks ago that reaffirms support for Congo’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, urges an end to the M23 offensive and the withdrawal of Rwandan troops and calls for the urgent resumption of talks.
To pass, the resolution requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the United States, Russia, China, Britain, or France. Diplomats say it is likely to be adopted.
Impact Shorts
View AllCongo says Rwanda has used the M23 as a proxy to loot its minerals such as gold and coltan, used in smartphones and computers. The US has imposed sanctions on a Rwandan minister and a senior rebel for their alleged role in the conflict.
The text also condemns support by Congolese troops ”to specific armed groups, in particular the FDLR, and calls for the cessation of such support and for the urgent implementation of commitments to neutralise the group.”
The M23 is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of eastern Congo’s trillions of dollars in mineral wealth. The region is rich in gold and coltan, a key mineral used in consumer electronics like laptops and smartphones.
The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and at times have vowed to march as far as Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, over 1,000 miles away.
In a lightning three-week offensive, the M23 took control of eastern Congo’s main city Goma and seized the second largest city, Bukavu, on Sunday.
The U.N. Human Rights Council this month launched a commission that will investigate atrocities, including allegations of rapes and killings akin to “summary executions” by both sides.
With inputs from agencies
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