The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will be able to “freely acquire” new military equipment to fight the M23 rebellion in the east of the country.
This represents a new twist in the conflict in North Kivu, eastern DRC.
On Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council notified the Congolese authorities that it was lifting the notification requirement for exporters of military equipment when supplying arms to the DRC.
This condition was imposed by the UN in 2003.
In a statement seen by APA on Wednesday, Kinshasa welcomed the decision “which puts an end to an injustice.”
The statement said: “This resolution unanimously approved by the members of the Security Council has repaired an injustice that prevented our country to freely acquire military equipment to enable the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) to have the necessary capacity to defend the country, especially against Rwandan aggression under the guise of the terrorist movement M23”.
With this decision, Kinshasa should resume importation of defence equipment, raising fears of an intensification of fighting in the east of the country, where several armed groups are active, including the 23 March Movement (M23).
The armed group stems from a former Tutsi rebellion in Congo that took up arms at the end of 2021 and is said to have caused the death of more than 130 civilians at the end of November.
The Congolese authorities repeatedly state that Rwanda supports the M23, while President Paul Kagame noted that the conflict in eastern DRC should not be blamed on his country, “given that more than a hundred armed groups, not only the M23 rebel group, are active” in the DRC.
The Rwandan leader believes that the conflict is rather the result of Kinshasa’s inability to resolve its long-standing internal problems with Congolese of Rwandan origin.
On the other hand, the DRC will still be able to count on UN peacekeepers in 2023, as the Security Council has renewed the mandate of its peacekeeping force for another year.
“The government takes note of the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) by one year, while reaffirming its determination to continue implementing the gradual and phased withdrawal plan in accordance with the expressed will of the Congolese people,” the government said.
ODL/cgd/lb/as/APA