Guterres calls for withdrawal of Rwandan troops and halt to support for M23 rebels near Goma
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has made a direct appeal for the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the M23 rebel group, allegedly backed by Rwanda, advances on the key city of Goma. The crisis has drawn sharp international condemnation, sparked a humanitarian emergency, and reignited tensions in the volatile Great Lakes region.
M23 rebels, bolstered by several thousand Rwandan troops according to U.N. reports, have made significant territorial gains, threatening Goma, a city of over a million people near DRC’s eastern border. Guterres, in a rare explicit condemnation, called on the Rwanda Defense Forces to cease support for M23 and withdraw from Congolese territory. His statement follows the deaths of three U.N. peacekeepers in the escalating conflict.
The U.N. chief’s remarks coincide with an emergency Security Council meeting, during which Western powers, including France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, unequivocally demanded Rwanda halt its support for M23 and withdraw its forces. However, divisions among Council members emerged, with nations like China and several African representatives stopping short of naming Kigali directly.
Guterres emphasized that attacks on U.N. personnel may constitute war crimes, underscoring the increasing risks faced by peacekeepers in the region. As violence intensifies, the U.N. has begun evacuating non-essential staff from Goma, signaling the gravity of the situation.
Rwanda has consistently denied allegations of supporting M23, dismissing them as baseless accusations aimed at deflecting attention from Kinshasa’s governance failures. Rwanda’s ambassador to the U.N., Ernest Rwamucyo, accused the Congolese government of escalating the crisis and claimed that U.N. peacekeepers had aligned with forces seeking regime change in Rwanda.
Despite Kigali’s denials, multiple U.N. reports and Congolese officials have accused Rwanda of deploying troops in eastern DRC and backing M23’s operations. Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner went so far as to label Rwanda’s actions a “declaration of war,” urging the Security Council to impose sweeping sanctions on Kigali.
Eastern DRC has long been a hotbed of instability, with its vast mineral wealth fueling competition among armed militias. The region has witnessed cycles of violence since the 1990s, displacing millions and perpetuating a complex web of conflicts involving local, regional, and international actors.
The latest fighting has displaced an estimated 230,000 people, adding to the region’s dire humanitarian crisis. The M23’s resurgence, combined with allegations of foreign interference, threatens to destabilize not only the DRC but the broader Great Lakes region.
While some U.N. Security Council members have unequivocally condemned Rwanda, others have taken a more cautious stance. French ambassador Nicolas de Riviere pledged to work on a Council statement that would explicitly address Rwanda’s involvement, calling for a united response to what he described as a “grave threat to regional peace and security.”
The DRC has called on the international community to impose economic and political sanctions on Rwanda, but achieving consensus within the Security Council remains a challenge.
The DRC crisis underscores the fragile dynamics of international diplomacy in addressing conflicts rooted in complex historical, political, and economic grievances. The Security Council’s ability—or failure—to act decisively could shape the trajectory of the conflict, with implications for regional stability and humanitarian relief efforts.
As tensions escalate, the world watches closely to see whether calls for accountability and peace will translate into tangible actions to address one of Africa’s most enduring and volatile crises.
