France denounced, Tuesday February 20, "attacks on the territorial integrity" of the DR Congo and violence against civilian populations in the east of the country, calling on Rwanda "to cease all support" for the M23 rebels. and “to withdraw from Congolese territory”.

“France is very concerned by the situation in eastern Congo, in North Kivu and in particular around Goma and Saké. The attacks on the territorial integrity of the DRC and the situation of civilian populations are unacceptable” , said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

#DRC | France is very concerned by the situation in Eastern Congo, in North Kivu and in particular around Goma and Saké.



Full statement ➡️ https://t.co/VTB97JAlic pic.twitter.com/P1Qwt2VXn9

— France Diplomatie🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@francediplo) February 20, 2024

“France condemns the continuation of the M23 offensives with the support of Rwanda, and the presence of Rwandan forces on Congolese territory,” adds the Quai d'Orsay, urging the rebels to “cease the fight immediately.”

“We call on Rwanda to stop all support for the M23 and to withdraw from Congolese territory,” insists the ministry, before calling on “all armed groups to put an end to the violence.”

Intensification of fighting

For several days, fighting between the M23 ("March 23 Movement"), supported by units of the Rwandan army, and Congolese government forces has intensified at Saké, a locality located about twenty kilometers to the west of the provincial capital, Goma.

The M23 is a rebel group composed mainly of Tutsis. He took up arms again at the end of 2021 after several years of sleep and has since seized large parts of North Kivu.

The Democratic Republic of Congo accuses Rwanda and its M23 “supplements” of wanting to take control of the minerals of eastern Congolese. The M23, for its part, claims to be defending a threatened section of the population and is demanding negotiations, which Kinshasa refuses, excluding discussions with "terrorists".

With AFP

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