The U.S. government has called for the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) occupied territory and urged the alleged Rwandan-backed M23 rebels to declare a ceasefire.

U.S. Department of State’s Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, made the appeal at a digital news conference following a four-nation East African trip to DRC, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.

According to him, the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from the DRC and the laying down of arms by the M23 rebels are crucial to ending the war in the war-ravaged DRC.

Mr Boulos’ visit aimed to support efforts to achieve durable peace in eastern DRC and explore and preserve U.S. private sector investment in the subregion.

DRC has been plagued by conflict for decades, with over 120 armed groups active in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri provinces, including the M23, which has killed and displaced thousands.

The East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which deployed forces to curb the escalating conflict, recently withdrew them, raising concerns about a deepening security vacuum.

Responding to questions on the way out of the deteriorating situation in the Congo, Mr Boulos insisted that war was not the solution to the conflict but dialogue and peace.

The U.S. envoy said that, at the moment, an opportunity for peace presented itself like never before and urged all parties involved to take bolder steps to make that a reality.

“The U.S. position is that the M23 must lay down their arms, and Rwandan forces must withdraw from the DRC.

“I will also reiterate our position that Rwanda should cease all military support for M23 and withdraw all Rwandan troops from DRC territory.

“We all know that this can only be resolved peacefully. This is not and cannot be won and cannot be concluded with force. This has to be resolved through dialogue and peacefully,” he said.

Mr Boulos disclosed that negotiations between the DRC government and M23 toward achieving a broader peace process had already begun and expressed optimism that the outcome would be positive.

He appreciated the recent dialogue held by DRC’s President Felix Tshisekedi and the M-23 for the first time, saying it was a good step that was successful and fruitful by all counts.

Mr Boulos lauded the EAC, SADC, AU and ECOWAS for their mediation efforts while also expressing optimism about an AU-led peace process.

“With regards to the EAC and SADC, ECOWAS and the African Union, we highly appreciate their efforts. They’ve been trying and doing their best for a very long time, for many years.

“We are looking forward to building on this towards achieving a final peace and a lasting peace and full stability in the DRC and in the region.

“I must say that ECOWAS, although it’s West Africa, has been a major and key player on the continent, especially with regard to peacekeeping missions and many other things,” he said.

Mr Boulos also reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to long-term economic partnerships in Africa, adding that U.S. involvement in the region was not aimed at countering other competing powers like China.

He emphasised that the U.S.’ recent mineral supply chain agreements in the DRC were not exclusive to the country but also included neighbouring countries like Angola and Zambia.

Mr Boulos explained that these were part of broader efforts to diversify critical mineral sources and counter over-reliance on single markets, which would mutually serve the U.S. and DRC’s national strategic interests.

(NAN)