In punishment for Kigali’s suspected assistance of a rebel group active in the nation’s east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has expelled Rwandan Ambassador Vincent Karenga, according to government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya on Saturday (29 October).
The ambassador must depart the country within 48 hours.
The decision to expel the ambassador was made by the DRC’s high defense council during a cabinet meeting to review the nation’s security situation. The action is expected to increase tensions between Rwanda and the DRC.
Authorities in the DRC assert that Kigali supports M23 rebels engaged in conflict in the country’s eastern provinces. The accusation has been frequently refuted by Rwanda.
Security circumstance
The M23 rebels and the Congolese military have been fighting bloody battles and taking control of additional land. They quadrupled their possessions on Saturday by taking control of two significant towns.
An official statement from the MONUSCO UN peacekeeping operation stated that it “strongly condemns the violent activities of the M23 and their serious implications on the civilian population.”
In addition, it issued a warning, saying it “stands ready to retaliate severely in the event of additional attacks against its bases.” MONUSCO reported that on Saturday, mortar shelling and gunfire wounded four of its personnel.
However, M23 returned to combat in the latter half of 2021, claiming that the government had broken its agreement with them.
By June, they had taken control of the vital town of Bunagana, which is close to the Ugandan border.
Around 250,000 people are thought to have been displaced as a result of the violence so far.
