The United States has called on all armed groups, including M23, CODECO, FDLR, MAPI, and others to cease hostilities and lay down their weapons over violence that has left so many dead, injured, displaced, and vulnerable in Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to the statement released by the State Department Spokesman on Monday, the United States Government who condemned the horrific violence, demanded that those responsible for these acts must be held accountable and brought to justice.
US welcomed the final report by the United Nations Group of Experts documented on these armed groups, committing multiple violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses, including rapes and summary executions of civilians.
While called on foreign non-state armed groups to return to their countries of origin and domestic armed groups to join the East African Community-led Nairobi Process consultations between the DRC government and armed groups.
The United States reiterated its call for Rwanda to immediately remove Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) troops from Congolese territory, also urged Rwanda to immediately cease support for UN- and U.S.-sanctioned M23 armed group.
“We also denounce the collaboration, endorsed by national military authorities, of Congolese armed forces (FARDC) elements with multiple armed groups, including the UN- and U.S.-sanctioned FDLR, we reiterate our call for the government of the DRC to immediately stop all collaboration between these elements”.
Moreso, United States designated the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), also known as ISIS-DRC, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2021 and urges our partners to do the same. We condemn the attacks by ISIS-DRC.
While welcomed the report’s recommendations and continues to support African-led diplomatic efforts, including the Nairobi and Luanda processes, to promote lasting peace.
It was reported that since the 1960s, the Congolese have endured over two decades of armed conflict with over 5.4 million people dead due to war-related causes, making it the deadliest conflict since World War II.
Congolese armed groups and elements of the army have a long, brutal history of recruiting child soldiers. The United Nations report at least 1,000 cases of child soldier recruitment between January 2012 and August 2013.
