The United States Government expressed its appreciation for the President of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Félix Tshisekedi, for his engagement in the peace talks with The Mouvement Du 23 Mars (M23) and end the eastern DRC crisis.
On Friday Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi to discuss the eastern DRC crisis. The U.S State Department in its statement indicated that Secretary Blinken thanked President Tshisekedi for his commitment to the Luanda Process, led by Angolan President João Lourenço, and for his willingness to engage in talks on December 15, and reiterated the U.S. position that M23 and Rwandan Defense Forces must cease hostilities and withdraw from their positions in eastern DRC.
“The Secretary encouraged President Tshisekedi to move forward on plans to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda armed group. The Secretary welcomed President Tshisekedi’s collaboration with former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta who has offered his good offices on mediation with M23,” it said.
The conflict between the Congolese government and the M23, a rebel movement largely drawn from
Congolese communities of Rwandan origin, took place in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) in areas close to the Rwandan and Ugandan borders between early 2012 and late 2013. It was
the product of a failed 2009 peace deal between the DRC and an earlier rebel group, which formed
the nucleus of the M23 backed by the Rwandan Defense Forces.
Drivers of the conflict in the minerals rich African country
One research on the conflict shows that There were three overarching drivers for the M23 conflict. The first was the M23 claim that it represented the particular and legitimate grievances of Congolese of Rwandan origin, notably Tutsi communities in North Kivu. These included the protection of Tutsi from violence, especially from the Forces Democratiques pour la Liberation de Rwanda (FDLR), the return of Congolese Tutsi refugees from camps in Rwanda, and the resolution of long-standing uncertainty over their status as Congolese citizens.
Many of these issues had been reflected in the terms of the March 23 2009 peace deal. The M23 agenda expanded over the course of the conflict, moving beyond its original, locally-rooted demands, to positioning itself as the champion of all Congolese people against a corrupt and dysfunctional state, notably after the group took the important town of Goma in November 2012, and briefly expressed the intention to extend their rebellion across the DRC. These two linked agendas were put forward interchangeably at different times by the M23 itself, and by its sympathizers.
According the latest UN report, M23 has been responsible for carrying out mass killings of civilians, as well as raping women and children throughout various regions of the DRC. Several reports indicate that M23 fighters have carried out 46 rapes against women and girls, the youngest of which was 8 years old.
“In addition to reports of sexual violence, M23 has also carried out extensive forced recruitment campaigns of children into the ranks of the group. It is estimated that M23 has carried out the forced recruitment of 146 young men and boys in the Rutshuru territory alone in eastern DRC since July 2012. Some of the victims have been as young as 15 years old. The atrocities committed by M23 against the civilian population of the DRC, as well as M23’s forced recruitment campaign, and being the recipient of arms and military assistance has dramatically contributed to instability and conflict within the region and in some instances, violated international law.”