The United States is gravely concerned by the ceasefire violations in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since October 20 by the Rwandan-backed, U.S.- and UN-sanctioned M23 armed group. M23 must immediately cease hostilities and withdraw from its positions in Walikale territory, North Kivu Province. We reiterate our longstanding call for Rwanda to immediately withdraw all Rwanda Defense Force personnel and equipment from the DRC, including its surface-to-air missile systems, and to cease GPS disruptions. We also reiterate our longstanding call on the Government of DRC to stop collaboration with the U.S.- and UN-sanctioned Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) armed group and take immediate steps to demobilize it.
The Luanda Process led by Angolan President João Lourenço has made important progress, including the operationalization of the Angola-led Reinforced Verification Mechanism, the technical-expert-level agreement on a plan for the FDLR armed group, and the disengagement of uninvited foreign forces from the DRC. We call on all parties to abide by their commitments under the Luanda Process. All states should respect each other’s sovereignty, protect all civilians, and hold those responsible for human rights abuses accountable.