Congo demands international sanctions 'to stop Rwanda'

4/2/2025 6:33

The international community must take concrete action and impose sanctions on Rwanda to curb the M23 rebel conflict in eastern Congo and keep the peace in the wider region, Congo's communications minister told Reuters on Monday.



An ongoing escalation has displaced around half a million more people and led to the capture last week of Congo's largest eastern city Goma, fanning fears of regional wars like those that killed millions between 1996 and 2003, most from hunger and disease.



Foreign powers including the U.S. and the European Union have condemned Rwanda's involvement in the fighting, which U.N. reports have said includes the deployment of thousands of its own troops and weapons in support of the Tutsi-led M23 militia.



"A strong decision (must be taken) not only to condemn, but to stop what Rwanda is doing, because it is not acceptable if you want to preserve peace in Africa and in our region," Patrick Muyaya said in an interview in the capital Kinshasa.