DRC leader vows ‘vigorous’ response as Rwanda-backed fighters advance

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s president has vowed a “vigorous” subject effect against Rwandan-backed fighters who person precocious further successful the mineral-rich eastbound of the state aft seizing astir of the region’s main city.

The Rwanda-backed M23’s seizure of astir of Goma, the superior of North Kivu province, successful caller days is simply a melodramatic escalation of a years-long run that has seen it prehend swathes of territory successful eastbound DRC.

M23, the March 23 Movement, is among a drawstring of rival equipped groups successful eastbound DRC, which has been plagued by interior and cross-border unit for the past 3 decades.

The M23 violative has rattled the continent, with determination blocs successful Eastern and Southern Africa calling exigency summits, and the United Nations, United States, China and European Union urging an extremity to fighting.

DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, successful his archetypal remarks since M23 rebels captured overmuch of Goma, said successful a late-night code connected Wednesday that a “vigorous and coordinated effect against these terrorists and their sponsors is nether way”.

He blasted the “silence and inaction” of the planetary community, calling it an “affront” successful the look of an “unprecedented worsening of the information situation” that could pb “straight to an escalation” successful the broader Great Lakes region.

Tshisekedi declined to be situation talks with his counterpart Rwandan President Paul Kagame earlier connected Wednesday.

Following the virtual summit, the determination East African Community bloc “called for peaceful colony of the conflicts”, urging the DRC to “directly prosecute with each stakeholders, including the M23”.

In a late-night station connected societal media, Kagame told South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that his state was “in nary presumption to instrumentality connected the relation of a peacemaker oregon mediator”.

Thirteen South African soldiers person been killed successful the past week successful the DRC, wherever they were portion of a UN peacekeeping unit arsenic good arsenic the Southern African Development Community Mission successful DRC (SAMIDRC).

Kagame said the SAMIDRC “is not a peacekeeping force, and it has nary spot successful this situation”.

The 16-nation Southern African Development Community volition clasp a peculiar acme connected the situation connected Friday successful Zimbabwe.

Angola, which has mediated a ceasefire betwixt the DRC service and M23 successful the past, has besides called for the Congolese and Rwandan leaders to conscionable urgently successful its capital, Luanda.