By AGGREY BULUBA
Congo — In the heart of Africa, where hope struggles against hardship, the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) face a relentless conflict that has displaced millions and claimed countless lives. The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken, has urged Rwanda to withdraw its forces from eastern DRC, emphasizing the need for an immediate end to the violence devastating the region.
On December 28, 2024, during a phone call with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, Blinken condemned the ongoing crisis attributed to the M23 rebels. The group, allegedly supported by the Rwandan government—a claim Kigali denies—has left a trail of destruction and suffering. Blinken reaffirmed the United States’ support for Tshisekedi’s commitment to the Luanda Process, a peace initiative led by Angola’s President João Lourenço, aimed at restoring stability.
Blinken called for the immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of the M23 rebels and Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) from eastern Congo. He also urged President Tshisekedi to intensify efforts to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), another group contributing to the region’s instability. Additionally, Blinken praised the peace mediation efforts led by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and reiterated the United States’ commitment to supporting diplomatic solutions for lasting peace.
Described as one of the world’s deadliest conflicts, the violence in the DRC has transformed fertile lands into battlefields and thriving communities into areas of despair. As the international community debates solutions, millions of Congolese civilians continue to endure profound suffering, with their lives disrupted and futures uncertain.
The United States has called on all involved parties to prioritize peace over power, echoing the sentiment that “it is better to lose a war and gain peace than to win a war and lose humanity.”
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