The United States has once again called out Rwanda, urging it to withdraw troops allegedly present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This criticism was voiced by Massad Boulos, the Special Advisor to former President Donald Trump on African Affairs.
In a press briefing held on Thursday, Boulos said:
“We reaffirm our firm position: Rwanda must end all military support to M23 and withdraw all Rwandan troops from Congolese territory.”
Earlier this month, Boulos visited Kigali, where he met and held talks with President Paul Kagame. He expressed optimism that all parties involved in the eastern DRC conflict could reach a quick and peaceful resolution.
The U.S. has been one of the main countries putting pressure on Rwanda, accusing it of backing the M23 rebel group, which has been fighting the Congolese government for over three years.
In February this year, Washington imposed sanctions on General (Rtd) James Kabarebe, who serves as the Senior Defense and Security Advisor in Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accusing him of being behind the country’s support to M23.
Rwanda, on its part, has consistently denied having troops in eastern DRC, although it acknowledges deploying defensive security measures along its border to prevent any threats from Congo that may destabilize Rwanda.
