US now piles pressure on Rwanda to cooperate in ending war in eastern DRC

NAIROBI, Kenya - Antony Blinken - US Secretary of State has called on Paul Kagame’s government to work towards de-escalating the war in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] where Congolese forces are engaged in a battle with M23 rebels whom Blinken alleges has the support of Rwandan government.

Blinken earlier on Tuesday held a separate private meeting with Dr. Vincent Biruta- Rwanda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs at the margins of the G20 Summit in Bali.

The US Secretary of State tweeted that "I had an important meeting with Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta today on the margins of my G20 meetings in Bali. I underscored the United States' deep concern about the continuing violence in eastern DRC, and called on Rwanda to take active steps to facilitate de-escalation.”

In response, Biruta noted, “Thank you Secretary Blinken for the good meeting. I reiterated Rwanda’s commitment to the regional Nairobi and Luanda mechanisms to bring peace and stability to eastern DRC and the region, and the need for all concerned parties to work towards a political solution to the crisis."

The M23 rebels recently captured key cities in north Kivu where they clashed with Congolese forces as they advance towards the key town of Goma.

Last week Angolan President João Lourenço jetted to Rwanda where he held private talks with President Paul Kagame over the rising tensions between Rwanda and DRC.

Lourennco is the chair of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), which developed the Luanda Roadmap that calls for both countries to respect each other’s territorial integrity and stop supporting rebels.

Earlier this week Nshuti Manasseh-Rwanda's Minister of State held private talks with members of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee led by Michel Xavier Biang in Kigali.

The meeting comes after a similar visit to Kinshasa over the escalating situation in eastern DRC. Despite the two meetings, the UN sanctions committees have not placed any sanctions on Rwanda.

Last week, President Tshisekedi met with a delegation of Rwandan-speaking Tutsi Congolese "on the issue of their security wherever they find themselves in the DRC”, in a move aimed at easing tensions with Rwanda – which has expressed sympathy for the plight of the Tutsi community in DRC.

GAROWE ONLINE