By Oyintari Ben
Numerous protesters, both on foot and on motorcycles, circulated among churches to urge a sizable rally against the Rwandan invasion, and to show their satisfaction with Vincent Karega’s departure as Rwanda’s ambassador to the DRC following months of hostilities and claims of M23 involvement.
Some protesters even went as far as to demand “guns so that they can fight against Rwanda” in order to show their support for the Congolese army in the midst of the uprising.
“The Congolese people have been requesting the removal of the Rwandan ambassador from the DRC for a very long time. Since there are verifiable indications that Rwanda is attacking the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Rutshuru region, the people has long urged the government to deport him, according to activist Placide Nzilamba.
The M23 rebels are advancing towards the Congolese army in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and are currently a few dozen kilometres from Goma, the capital of North Kivu, when the African Union (AU) called for “an immediate ceasefire” on Sunday.
The African Union (AU), which expresses “grave concern” over the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC, “calls on all parties to establish an immediate ceasefire, to respect international law, the safety of civilians, and the stability of the borders of all countries in the region.”
The M23 fighters’ onslaught against the Congolese army has been going on across numerous fronts in North Kivu region for the past week.
The M23 successfully took over Kiwanja and Rutshuru-Centre on Saturday with little resistance. Since the conflict started up again, tens of thousands of civilians have left their villages.
Tens of thousands of people have fled their communities since the violence erupted 10 days ago, but no civilian casualties have been reported to date.
The Rwandan government continues to vehemently deny any connection to the M23, and in response, asserts that the DRC is working along with Rwandan Hutu insurgents.
