The US has blamed the Rwandan army and the Tutsi rebel group M23 for bombing a displaced persons camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The bombing is thought to have killed nine people, including seven children at a camp in Mugunga, near the city of Goma, the capital of the DRC’s North Kivu province.
M23 is mainly composed of ethnic Tutsi’s, a minority group which many claim faces widespread discrimination in the DRC.
The United Nations has previously accused Rwanda, which is currently run by Tutsi President Paul Kagame, of creating and controlling the M23 rebel group.
Tutsi and Hutu are two ethnic groups which originate in Central Africa. They’ve come into conflict numerous times, which led to the Rwandan genocide in the early 90’s, leading to around 500,000 to 800,000 Tutsi deaths
Some Rwandan refugees in the UK claim that they are Hutus who are fleeing discrimination in the Central African country.
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, said they were “gravely concerned about the recent RDF and M23 expansion” in eastern DR Congo”.
He added: “It is essential that all states respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and hold accountable all actors for human rights abuses in the conflict in eastern DR Congo.”
The news follows reports that the town of Rubaya, now mainly known for mining coltan, a key ingredient in making many consumer electronics, was captured by M23 early this week.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron called on Rwanda to “halt its support” for the M23 rebel group on Monday.
The DRC’s president Felix Tshisekedi has previously accused Rwanda of destabilizing his country by supporting the rebel group, even accusing the Rwandan president of behaving like Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. agency report
