Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda tensions (2022–present)

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Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda tensions (2022–present)
Part of the M23 offensive (2022–present) and the Kivu conflict
RD Congo Rwanda Locator.png
The DRC (orange) and Rwanda (green)
DateMarch 27, 2022 – present
(2 years, 9 months, 2 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Central Africa
Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg Félix Tshisekedi
Units involved
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  FARDC

Rwanda Defense Force emblem.png Rwanda Defence Force

Strength
Unknown
Casualties and losses
    • 2 soldiers killed trying to cross the Rwandan border
    • 1 Su-25 damaged [8]
    • 1 soldier killed (per Rwanda)
    • 2 officers injured (per Rwanda)
    • 2 Congolese civilians killed (per DRC)
    • Several Rwandan and Congolese civilians wounded

Beginning in 2022, tensions heightened between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, marking a significant breakdown in relations between the two countries. Amid this, Rwandan forces have crossed into the DRC multiple times, usually fighting alongside Congolese rebels.

Contents

The crisis is related to an ongoing offensive that began in March 2022 by the March 23 Movement (M23), which the DRC, United Nations, United States, and other Western countries accuse Rwanda of not only supporting but actively fighting for. [9] [10] [3] Rwanda and M23 [11] have also accused the DRC of working together with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a racist Hutu Power paramilitary group that took part in the Rwandan Genocide. [12] Both the Congo and Rwanda deny they support the FDLR and M23, respectively, [9] [13] contrary to research and reports that confirm both sides' allegations. [14] [15] [16]

The MONUSCO peacekeeping mission has maintained that it is not involved in the conflict apart from its role in defending the region from militants, [17] but has been accused by Rwanda of taking sides due to its cooperation with the Congolese armed forces. [18] Meanwhile, the Congolese government has asked MONUSCO peacekeepers to leave the DRC due to a "failure to protect civilians from armed groups." [19]

Timeline

2022

March 2022

Soon after the beginning of the offensive, the Democratic Republic of the Congo claimed that Rwanda supported the insurgent operation, a claim which was denied by the Rwandan government and the rebels. [2] [20] International Crisis Group researcher Onesphore Sematumba argued that claims about Rwandan aid were believable. He suggested that the resurgence of M23 was probably influenced by Rwanda's wish to stop an infrastructure project which would link the DR Congo and Uganda. [20]

May 2022

Congolese forces said that they had captured two Rwandan soldiers that had been sent into the DRC in disguise in May. Both were released on 11 June. [21] On 23 May, FARDC troops reportedly shelled Musanze District, in the Northern Province of Rwanda, injuring several people. [22] [23] Two days later, the DRC ordered the suspension of all RwandAir flights. [24] Rwanda condemned the action, [25] and RwandAir decided to retaliate by cancelling flights to Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and Goma. [24]

In response to these conflicts, African Union Chairman and President of Senegal Macky Sall said on 29 May that the African Union was supporting a "peaceful resolution" to the tensions. [26]

June 2022

Mediation attempts continued into the following month; on 2 June, Angolan President João Lourenço attempted to mediate a resolution between the two countries in Luanda. [27] On 8 June, Alexander De Croo, the Prime Minister of Belgium, compared the situation in the eastern DRC to that of Ukraine in a visit to Kinshasa, additionally making comments implying his support for the Congo in its border crisis with Rwanda. [28]

On 9 June, the DRC said it had discovered that 500 Rwandan special forces in disguise had been sent into the area near the town of Tshanzu in North Kivu. [12] [29] The day afterwards, the DRC accused Rwanda of firing rockets at a school in Biruma, [30] killing two children and seriously injuring another person of unspecified age. Rwanda also said that the Congo had fired rockets into Western Rwanda from the direction of Bunagana. [31] [32]

The UN called for a ceasefire between the two countries, [33] but on 12 June, the DRC alleged that Rwanda intended to occupy the city of Bunagana, [9] which M23 forces would then capture one day later. The arrival of the M23 forced about 30,000 people to flee to Uganda. The DRC claimed that Rwandan forces were helping to occupy the city. The rebels claimed that taking Bunagana wasn't their goal, but decided to do it after repeated attacks by the Congolese army. They also said that they were open to doing direct negotiations with the government. [4] The DRC described the fall of Bunagana as "no less than an invasion" by Rwanda. [18] Two senior Congolese security sources claimed that Uganda was also helping the M23 in their offensive. [4] That same day, Rwanda charged the MONUSCO mission of taking sides in the conflict, which it said was allowing the Congo to carry out cross-border attacks in Rwanda. [18]

The heavy fighting also caused about 137 Congolese soldiers and 37 police officers to flee into Uganda, where they surrendered to Ugandan forces. [34] [35] A Kinyarwanda-speaking lieutenant colonel was attacked and beaten by a mob in Kisangani. [36] [37]

On 15 June, thousands of demonstrators organized a protest against Rwandan actions in Goma. The protest quickly turned into an anti-Rwandan riot, as an angry mob pillaged and attacked shops owned by Rwandans, seizing vehicles to check if Rwandans were inside. [38] [39] Congolese riot police fired tear gas at protesters after some tried to enter a border checkpoint at the Rwandan border. [39] Several Rwandans in Goma responded by fleeing the country. [40] On the same day, the DRC suspended all "memoranda of understanding, agreements, and conventions concluded with Rwanda", demanding the withdrawal of all alleged Rwandan military personnel within the boundaries of the country. [41]

Just a few hours after Congolese security officials called for the DRC to cut all ties with Rwanda, a Congolese soldier crossed into Rubavu District carrying an AK-47 [42] and was shot to death by a Rwanda National Police officer on 17 June. The RDF said that the soldier was killed after he started shooting at civilians and security forces, and had injured two officers. [43] [44] The Congo shut down the two countries' border in response to the officer's death, adding that it would open an investigation into the events. [45] As a vehicle brought back the officer's body to Goma, a crowd made up of hundreds of people followed the vehicle shouting "hero, hero" and describing President of Rwanda Paul Kagame as an assassin. [46] [47] Some members of the crowd were documented yelling hateful slogans against Tutsis. [47]

July 2022

Representatives of Rwanda and the DRC both came to an agreement held in Angola on 6 July to begin a "de-escalation process" between the two nations. [48] M23 leader Willy Ngoma ordered a new offensive the next day, asserting that "Only the M23 can sign the cease-fire with the government." [49]

August 2022

In early August, a report for the United Nations by independent experts was leaked to the press. The report provided evidence that Rwandan troops had entered Congolese territory to support M23, fighting alongside the insurgents. These findings led to calls by journalists and officials in the DRC for the UN to sanction Rwanda. [50] [51]

October 2022

On 24 October, a Rwandan soldier running away from the Rwandan military's 401st battalion surrendered himself to a MONUSCO base in Kiwanja, saying that he had been sent to Rwanda as part of a military operation and begged the UN troops not to send him back to Rwanda. He was handed over to FARDC forces on 4 November. [14]

The Kivu Security Barometre, a project of the University of New York's Congo Study Group, found that satellite photos showing a battle from late October 2022 in Rugari, Rutshuru Territory revealed soldiers with insignias similar to those of the Rwandan Defence Force. [14]

November 2022

On 19 November, a Congolese soldier was shot dead as he crossed a border post near Rubavu. The Rwanda Defence Force said that he had been killed after shooting at the guard towers. The FARDC confirmed that the soldier had been killed, identifying him as a recent recruit to the armed forces who went missing after he had gotten lost during an army patrol. The DRC and Rwanda both say they are investigating the incident. [52] [53]

At the 2022 Francophonie summit in Tunis, the DRC representative Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde refused to take part in a group photo with other Francophone leaders (including the Rwandan representative) as a protest against Rwanda's actions in the Congo. [52]

The East African Community demanded, on 24 November, for both a ceasefire between Rwanda and the DRC as well as ordering the M23 movement to withdraw from all occupied territories. The EAC stated it would lead a military intervention to quell the unrest in Kivu if the orders were not obeyed. [54] At a summit in Luanda, Angola, both Rwanda and the DRC agreed to hold a ceasefire which was officially enforced on 25 November at 16:00 GMT. [55]

The M23 rejected the ceasefire, since they had not been invited to participate in the dialogue. A spokesman for the rebel group told Agence France-Presse that "M23 has seen the document on social media. […] There was nobody [from the M23] in the summit, so it doesn't really concern us... Normally when there is a cease-fire it is between the two warring sides." [56]

December 2022

On 5 December, the DRC announced that 272 civilians were killed in a massacre in the eastern town of Kishishe, North Kivu. The Congolese government blamed the killings on the M23, though M23 themselves denied culpability. An investigation was opened by Jean-Paul Mukolo, attorney general of the DRC. [57]

2023

January 2023

On 19 January 2023, The Rwandan government claimed that the DRC had a "clear indication" that it was "preparing for war." Rwanda also claimed that the DRC had imported European mercenaries on their behalf. [58] Five days later, on 24 January, a Congolese Su-25 was damaged by MANPAD fire by Rwandan forces after Rwanda claimed it violated its airspace. [8] The attack, which happened between the cities of Gisenyi and Goma, was responded to with a statement that said, "The government considers this umpteenth attack by Rwanda as a deliberate action." It was also said that the plane suffered only minor damage. [59]

July 2023

The DRC claimed on 27 July that it had repelled an incursion by the Rwandan army north of Goma. According to local sources, a Rwandan soldier was killed in the clash. [60]

October 2023

On 18 October, the UN expressed concern about the risk of a direct war between both countries. [61]

November 2023

On November 6, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to de-escalate the conflict after a surge of rebel clashes in Kinshasa. [62] [63] On 21 November, the two leaders agreed on steps to deescalate the tensions between both countries, according to U.S. intelligence. [64] The following day, M23 rebels claimed that they captured the town of Mweso. [65]

December 2023

In a speech made on 9 December, Tshisekedi said, "if Kagame [wants] to behave like Adolf Hitler by having expansionist aims, I promise he will end up like Adolf Hitler," in reference to the German dictator responsible for the Holocaust. A Rwandan government spokesperson condemned this statement, accusing Tshisekedi of making "a loud and clear threat". [66]

On 20 December, Tshisekedi threatened an invasion of Rwanda, stating "I've had enough of invasions and M23 rebels backed by Kigali," being met with chants of "Kagame out!" [67]

2024

January 2024

In the first incident of the year, a Congolese soldier was killed by Rwandan forces on January 16 in Rwanda's Rubavu District. The soldier allegedly opened fire on Rwandan soldiers before being shot dead. Two other Congolese soldiers were arrested in the same event. [68]

Félix Tshisekedi was sworn into his second term as president having promised to deal with the unrest in the east of the country. [69]

February 2024

On 17 February, the U.S. Department of State published a statement condemning Rwanda's alleged support of M23, while calling for the Rwandan government to remove all RDF personnel and surface-to-air missile systems from the DRC. [70] The Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MINAFFET) responded with a rejection of U.S. demands, stating their recent moves were justified as defensive measures against the FDLR, and questioned the ability of the U.S. to act as a credible mediator in the African Great Lakes. The Rwandan statement ended with an assertion that the FDLR must be demobilized and repatriated to Rwanda, with MINAFFET furthermore proclaiming, "Rwanda reserves the right to take any legitimate measures to defend our country, so long as this threat exists." [71]

The DRC accused Rwanda of carrying out a drone attack that damaged a civilian aircraft at Goma International Airport. [72] Protests were held in the city and western flags were burned. [73]

March 2024

M23 rebels took control of the town of Nyanzale. [74]

May 2024

On May 4, refugee camps near Goma were struck by bombs in coordinated attacks that killed 12 and injured at least 20. Both the Congolese administration and the U.S. Department of State blamed the Rwandan military and M23 for the attack. Yolande Makolo, spokeswoman for the Rwandan government, denied Rwandan culpability, saying on X, “The RDF, a professional army, would never attack an IDP camp. Look to the lawless FDLR [and] Wazalendo supported by the FARDC, for this kind of atrocity.” [75]

August 2024

On August 30, 2024, the Democratic Republic of Congo committed to suing Rwanda before the East African Court of Justice. [76]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ DRC support for the FDLR was first alleged by Rwanda. A report by the United Nations has found that members of the DRC army have fought alongside the FDLR. [1]
  2. ↑ Rwandan involvement in the M23 offensive (2022) was first alleged by the DR Congo, [2] a claim which was later substantiated by the findings of researchers tasked by the United Nations. [3]

Related Research Articles

The earliest known human settlements in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been dated back to the Middle Stone Age, approximately 90,000 years ago. The first real states, such as the Kongo, the Lunda, the Luba and Kuba, appeared south of the equatorial forest on the savannah from the 14th century onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East African Community</span> Intergovernmental organisation for African countries

The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation in East Africa. The EAC's membership consists of eight states: Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. William Ruto, the president of Kenya, is the current EAC chairman. The organisation was founded in 1967, collapsed in 1977, and was revived on 7 July 2000. The main objective of the EAC is to foster regional economic integration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda</span> Rebel group in the DR Congo

The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda is an armed rebel group active in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. As an ethnic Hutu group opposed to the ethnic Tutsi influence, the FDLR is one of the last factions of Rwandan rebels active in the Congo. It was founded through an amalgamation of other groups of Rwandan refugees in September 2000, including the former Army for the Liberation of Rwanda (ALiR), under the leadership of Paul Rwarakabije. It was active during the latter phases of the Second Congo War and the subsequent insurgencies in Kivu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kivu conflict</span> Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Kivu conflict is an umbrella term for a series of protracted armed conflicts in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo which have occurred since the end of the Second Congo War. Including neighboring Ituri province, there are more than 120 different armed groups active in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, some of the most active rebel groups include the Allied Democratic Forces, the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, the March 23 Movement, and many local Mai Mai militias. In addition to rebel groups and the governmental FARDC troops, a number of national and international organizations have intervened militarily in the conflict, including the United Nations force known as MONUSCO, and an East African Community regional force.

Bosco Ntaganda is a convicted war criminal and the former military chief of staff of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), an armed militia group operating in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He is a former member of the Rwandan Patriotic Army and allegedly a former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC), the military wing of the Union of Congolese Patriots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Congress for the Defence of the People</span> Congolese militia

The National Congress for the Defence of the People is a political armed militia established by Laurent Nkunda in the Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in December 2006. The CNDP was engaged in the Kivu conflict, an armed conflict against the military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In January 2009, the CNDP split and Nkunda was arrested by the Rwanda government. The remaining CNDP splinter faction, led by Bosco Ntaganda, was planned to be integrated into the national army.

Laurent Nkunda is a former General in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is the former warlord operating in the province of North-Kivu, and a officer of the Tutsi-dominated government of neighbouring Rwanda. Nkunda, who is himself a Congolese-born Tutsi, commanded the former DRC troops of the 81st and 83rd Brigades of the DRC Army. He speaks English, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Lingala and Kinande. On January 22, 2009, he was put under house arrest in Gisenyi when he was called for a meeting to plan a joint operation between the Congolese and Rwandan militaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Eastern Congo offensive</span>

The 2009 Eastern Congo offensive was a joint Congo-Rwanda military offensive against the Hutu Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel group descended from those groups that carried out the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Two operations were carried out: 'Kimia II' and 'Umoja Wetu.' 'Kimia' can be translated as 'calm.' "Umoja Wetu" is Swahili for "Our Unity".

Kanyabayonga is a town straddling the Lubero and Rutshuru territories of North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Administratively, the part which is in Lubero is the commune of Kanyabayonga and, the part in Rutshuru belongs to the Kanyabayonga groupement (grouping) which extends well south of the town and is within the Bwito chiefdom. The region as a whole has seen much armed conflict since 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunagana, Democratic Republic of the Congo</span> Place in North Kivu, DR Congo

Bunagana is a small town in Rutshuru Territory, North Kivu Province, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the border with Uganda. It served as the headquarters of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel militia in 2013 and has been occupied by M23 since 13 June 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M23 rebellion</span> 2012–2013 conflict in the DRC

The M23 rebellion was an armed conflict in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), that occurred between the March 23 Movement and government forces between 4 April 2012 and 7 November 2013. It ended when a peace agreement was made among eleven African nations, and the M23 troops surrendered in Uganda. The rebellion was part of continued fighting in the region after the formal end of the Second Congo War in 2003. The conflict reignited in late 2021 after rebel "general" Sultani Makenga and 100 rebel fighters attacked the border town of Bunagana but failed. A few months later, with a much larger force, the rebels of the M23 movement renewed their attack and captured Bunagana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 23 Movement</span> Revolutionary military group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The March 23 Movement, often abbreviated as M23 and also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army, is a Congolese Tutsi-led rebel military group. Based in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), it operates mainly in the province of North Kivu, which borders both Uganda and Rwanda. The M23 rebellion of 2012 to 2013 against the DRC government led to the displacement of large numbers of people. On 20 November 2012, M23 took control of Goma, a provincial capital with a population of a million people, but it was requested to evacuate it by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region because the DRC government had finally agreed to negotiate. In late 2012, Congolese troops, along with UN troops, retook control of Goma, and M23 announced a ceasefire and said that it wanted to resume peace talks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Force Intervention Brigade</span> Military unit

The United Nations Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) is a military formation which constitutes part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). It was authorized by the United Nations Security Council on 28 March 2013 through Resolution 2098. Although it is not the first instance in which the use of force was authorized by the UN, the Force Intervention Brigade is the first UN peacekeeping operation specifically tasked to carry out targeted offensive operations to "neutralize and disarm" groups considered a threat to state authority and civilian security. In this case, the main target was the M23 militia group, as well as other Congolese and foreign rebel groups. While such operations do not require the support of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), the Force Intervention Brigade often acts in unison with the FARDC to disarm rebel groups.

The 2013 Kivu offensive refers to actions in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by the Congolese army, which captured two towns from M23 rebels: Kiwanja and Buhumba, both of which are in the Rutshuru area of North Kivu province, near the Rwandan border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M23 offensive (2022–present)</span> Conflict in the DR Congo

In late March 2022, the March 23 Movement (M23), supported by Rwanda, launched an offensive in North Kivu against the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and MONUSCO. The fighting displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians and caused renewed tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

The Kishishe massacre occurred from November 29 to December 1, 2022, in the North Kivu village of Kishishe in the Rutshuru Territory in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The March 23 Movement, a predominantly Tutsi armed group, summarily killed at least 131 civilians in Kishishe following clashes with local militias, according to a preliminary United Nations investigation. At the same time, the Kinshasa authorities had previously reported approximately 300 fatalities. The attack also resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people who were forced to flee to other locations such as Kanyabayonga, Kibirizi, Kashala, Kirima, Nyanzale, Kashalira, Bambu, and Kitchanga. Some victims also sought refuge in neighboring countries due to the ongoing violence and instability in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda relations</span> Bilateral relations

Modern relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have origins that date back to the European colonial era. Sharing a border that is 221 km in length, the two countries were both colonial possessions of Belgium between 1919 and 1960, and were impacted by the two world wars. Both Rwanda and the Congo experienced violent upheavals during their first years of independence, with the Congo being left with a weak central authority, and Rwanda dealing with periodic raids and incursions from expelled Tutsi rebels in the east of the Congo.

Events of the year 2024 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Battle of Kitshanga</span>

Between January 24 and 26, 2023, M23 rebels and Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) soldiers fought over the city of Kitshanga. The battle was part of the renewed M23 offensive, and ended on January 26 with M23 forces capturing the city. Civilians accused both M23 and FARDC-aligned militias of war crimes during and after the battle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bashali Chiefdom</span> Chiefdom in Masisi Territory, North Kivu

The Bashali Chiefdom is a chiefdom located in the Masisi Territory of North Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Topographically, it is bounded to the east by the Virunga National Park, to the north by the Bwito Chiefdom of Rutshuru Territory, to the northwest by Walikale Territory, to the south by the Bahunde Chiefdom, and to the west by the Osso sector. Encompassing a total area of 1,582 square kilometers, the chiefdom is the administrative and sociopolitical structure for the Hunde ethnic group and is administratively subdivided into two groupements: Bashali-Mokoto and Bashali-Kaembe. Kitchanga, the urban center and administrative capital of the Bashali-Mokoto groupement, is the most densely populated locality within the chiefdom.

References

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