DR Congo SADC forces attempted to “bring war to Rwanda,” according to the foreign ministry

It has been found that the coalition of foreign forces stationed in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the genocidal FDLR and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission known as SAMIDRC, had combat objectives “not limited to defeating M23 but also attacking Rwanda,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ statement said.

The Rwandan government denied claims made by the January 31 SADC summit of chiefs of state that the Rwandan military had attacked the SAMIDRC and Congolese armed forces in eastern DR Congo, in a statement issued on Saturday, February 1.

According to the statement, the RDF “protects civilians and defends Rwanda’s borders from threats; it does not attack civilians.”

The SADC meeting came after the M23 rebel group captured Goma, a city in the war-torn eastern portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Monday.

Since the mission was sent “to support the war of the government of DR Congo against its own people – the M23 and the members of their community – many of whom have fled as refugees to Rwanda and throughout the region,” the deployment of the South Africa-led SAMIDRC offensive force in eastern DR Congo has been questioned on multiple occasions.

“As President Tshisekedi has stated publicly and repeatedly, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is also determined to attack Rwanda and topple its government,” the Rwandan foreign ministry said.

Additionally, it was pointed out that SAMIDRC and its coalition partners—which include the Burundian military, the FDLR, and European mercenaries—are essential to the fight and shouldn’t be present because they are exacerbating previously existing issues.

“The fact that SAMIDRC is there to fight the people of that country and effectively bring war to Rwanda renders the argument that they were invited by the Government of the DRC null and void,” it stated.

“The document evidence of attack preparations, coordinated with the foreign forces fighting in eastern DRC, including the FDLR, and recent information from Goma regarding what has been found, indicate that combat objectives were not limited to defeating M23 but also attacking Rwanda.”

Following the M23 rebel group’s conquest of Goma and their announcement of plans to march in liberation towards Kinshasa, regional tensions continued to rise.

DR Congo is a member of the East African Community (EAC) as well as the SADC.

EAC leaders, among other parties involved in the crisis in the east of the nation, asked during a meeting on January 29 that the Kinshasa administration engage in direct negotiations with M23 rebels.

The EAC’s suggestion that the two regional blocs meet to discuss how to handle the security situation in DR Congo was also supported by the SADC leaders.