 has strongly condemned the recent invasion of a territory in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by M23 rebel forces.){kind=link}
The European Union (EU) has strongly condemned the recent invasion of a territory in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by M23 rebel forces.
Anouar El Anouni, the EU’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson, expressed the bloc’s condemnation on Sunday at its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
El Anouni stated that the ongoing advance of the M23 rebels represents a serious violation of the agreed ceasefire and exacerbates the already dire humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC.
“We addressed this issue during Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting, where the foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states condemned the escalation of the crisis. They also reiterated their readiness to take action against those responsible for undermining peace and stability in the DRC,” he said.
He added that the EU’s Political and Security Committee (PSC) is actively engaging with the issue and utilizing all available tools to hold accountable those responsible for the ongoing conflict, instability, and insecurity in the region.
“We are deeply concerned about the situation, and discussions are ongoing among all 27 EU member states,” El Anouni added.
The M23 rebel group, which is currently in armed conflict with government forces in North Kivu district, has recently taken control of the city of Goma in eastern DRC, with support from Rwandan troops.
The rebels have also indicated the possibility of expanding the territory under their control.
The government of the DRC has called the invasion a declaration of war by Rwanda. Goma, a strategic city with a population of over two million, is located on the DRC’s border with Rwanda.