BRUSSELS Jan. 6 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The European Union has condemned this Monday the recent takeover of the city of Masisi, capital of the homonymous territory of the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the province of North Kivu, by the militias of the March 23 Movement (M23). .
“The continued advance of the M23 is a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreed upon within the framework of the Luanda process. The latest events significantly undermine the efforts undertaken to achieve a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” said the bloc’s Foreign Affairs spokesman, Anouar. the Anouni.
Likewise, they have urged the militias to withdraw “immediately” from the territory, as well as to respect the ceasefire, while they have also asked Rwanda to end its cooperation with the M23 and to withdraw its military forces from the DRC.
“The EU highlights the importance of all parties to the conflict to de-escalate and rapidly implement all decisions and commitments agreed in the Luanda process, to which the EU reiterates its full and firm support and commitment,” he added.
Finally, the spokesperson recalled that the community bloc is willing to take new measures in retaliation against those responsible for maintaining the “armed conflict, instability and insecurity” in the African country.
The 23rd militias have resumed their large-scale offensive in the province in recent weeks, specifically in the territory of Masisi, until finally taking control of its main city, Masisi-center.
The M23 is a rebel group composed mainly of Congolese Tutsis that operates mainly in the province of North Kivu. After a conflict between 2012 and 2013, a peace agreement was signed, although the group launched a new offensive at the end of 2022.
The situation has caused a diplomatic crisis between the DRC and Rwanda over their support for the group, raising fears of a large-scale conflict. Kigali, for its part, accuses Kinshasa of repressing Congolese Tutsis with the support of groups such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), founded and composed mainly of Hutus responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
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