Rwanda
We are writing to bring to your attention the grave humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the Rwandan government has been violating the country’s territorial integrity. The Rwandan military has been using the March 23 (M23) rebel group, a Congolese Tutsi-led movement, to occupy key areas, including the recent occupation of North Kivu capital, Goma on January 23, 2025. This is the latest in a series of violent aggressions since M23 resumed its armed conflict against the DRC in early 2022.
Today, December 4, 2025, Presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda authenticated a long-awaited peace agreement—which many hope will usher in a new era of stability in a region marked by decades of conflict, displacement, and silent suffering. Peace is always worth pursuing. But not all peace agreements are created equal, and some carry within them the seeds of future instability.
Washington, DC – On January 31, 2025, the Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) issued a call to action, sending a letter “Urgent Call for U.S. Action Against Rwanda’s Violation of DRC’s Territorial Integrity” to the United States (US) Secretary of State, and members of Congress. The letter appeals for immediate U.S. intervention to alleviate the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), sparked by worsening hostilities between the DRC armed forces and the Rwandan army allied to the M23 armed group. This crisis has intensified following M23’s takeover of Goma and expansion into South Kivu, prompting AFJN to warn of a looming “grave and humanitarian crisis” if the U.S. does not act.
We are writing to bring to your attention the grave humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the Rwandan government has been violating the country’s territorial integrity. The Rwandan military has been using the March 23 (M23) rebel group, a Congolese Tutsi-led movement, to occupy key areas, including the recent occupation of North Kivu capital, Goma on January 23, 2025. This is the latest in a series of violent aggressions since M23 resumed its armed conflict against the DRC in early 2022.
Ahead of your August 2022 meetings with leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, the Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) (a non-partisan coalition of 28 US-based religious communities) urges frank discussions on the following issues: Rwanda’s violations of DRC’s territorial integrity, bad governance in the DRC, and reasons why the UN peacekeepers should leave.
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