DR Congo Condemns Killing of UN Peacekeepers Amidst Escalating Tension with Rwanda

The DR Congo Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, has condemned the killing of Malawian, Uruguayan and South African United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) peacekeepers during clashes in the Eastern Congolese town of Goma.

The minister, who alleged that Rwanda forces carried out the deadly attacks said the actions were flagrant violations of international law and called on the United Nations to take concrete measures against the Kigali regime.

“For how long will Rwanda continue to abuse your respect and your authority?” the minister asked in a speech during a meeting with the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

The situation on the ground in the DR Congo remains critical, as the Congolese military (FARDC) and MONUSCO forces continue to combat the M23 rebel group, which has taken control of a large part of the town of Goma.

The conflict has resulted in a significant humanitarian crisis, with over 100 wounded persons admitted to health facilities and more than 500,000 people displaced in January alone.

Wagner also highlighted the dramatic impact of the cutting of water, electricity, and humanitarian restrictions in Goma, stating that the town is under siege without means of subsistence and civilian populations are being held hostage.

She urged the international community to take immediate action to protect civilians and prevent the conflict from spreading throughout the region.

“The town is under siege without means of subsistence and the civilian populations are held hostage,” the minister said. “If this Council does not sanction, history would retain its powerlessness and its indifference to this crisis. War does not know borders. It is dirty, it consumes all on its way.”