Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have recently captured Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This is the latest escalation in the three decades of armed conflict in Eastern DRC, which has caused over 6 million deaths since 1996.
The offensive by M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) have engendered a grave humanitarian crisis, leading to at least 3,000 deaths in Goma, displacing over 700,000 people in the last two months and causing widespread human rights violations according to UN sources. The already precarious humanitarian situation has further deteriorated with the capture of Goma, which acted as a humanitarian regional hub and place of refuge for civilians. Despite announcing a ceasefire, M23’s advance continues in South Kivu whereas the rebel group intends to capture Bukavu, which has raised fears of further intensification of the war.
The United Nations has gathered overwhelming evidence that Rwanda is actively supporting and directing M23’s offensive in Eastern DRC. It has also been widely documented that Rwanda is a key actor in the illicit extraction of eastern DRC’s minerals, driven by demand from companies and governments of the global North. Extraction and misappropriation has been a major driver of the war for three decades, continuing a long history of exploitation and plundering of the country started in the colonial period.
Considering their extensive economic, political and aid support to Rwanda, we, the undersigned organizations, call on the US, the EU, its member states and the UK to:
- Put pressure on the government of Rwanda to halt the offensive in Eastern DRC and call for an immediate cessation of the violence.
- Reconsider their financial aid to Rwanda until it withdraws its support to M23 and its soldiers from DRC’s territory.
- Halt all support to Rwanda that may contribute to the offensive. This includes the current €20 million EU grant for military assistance to RDF’s operations in Mozambique, which was signed in the context of insurgent movements threatening the interests of Total Energies in Mozambique, and constitutes political and material support to the Rwandan army.
We also call on the EU to immediately cancel its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rwanda to cooperate on the supply of critical minerals, which gives a green light to the Government of Rwanda to plunder the minerals of Eastern Congo and therefore contributes to regional instability and the escalating human suffering there.
Date: Thursday, February 13, 2025
Signed:
- 198 methods
USA - A Growing Culture
USA - AbibiNsroma Foundation
Ghana - Actions pour la Promotion et Protection des Peuples et Espèces Menacés en RDC (APEM-RDC)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Africa Center for Energy and Environmental Sustainability
Ghana - Alerte Congolaise pour l'environnement et les droits de l'homme
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Alliance Nationale d'Appui et de promotion des Aires du Patrimoine Autochtone et Communautaire (ANAPAC RDC)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Association pour la défense des droits à l'eau et à l'assainissement
Senegal - Attac Austria
Austria - Attac France
France - Attac Italia
Italy - Attac Spain
Spain - Call To Action
USA - Catholic Network US
USA - cBalance Solution Hub
India - CECIDE
Guinea - Ceden
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Centre for Citizens Conserving Environment & Management (CECIC)
Uganda - Climáximo
Portugal - Commission Justice et Paix de Pointe Noire
Republic of Congo - Communauté Congolaise Pietermaritzburg
South Africa - Communities First
USA - CORAP
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Environmental Defender Law Center
Brazil - Fédération des comités des pêcheurs du Lac Albert (FECOPELA)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - FERN
Belgium - FSU
France - Global Justice Now
UK - Global Witness
Belgium - GroundWork / Friends of the Earth, South Africa
South Africa - Hawkmoth
The Netherlands - ICCA Consortium
Italy - IFI Monitoring Group
Cameroon - Indian Social Action Forum
India - Initiative for Equality
Global - INSPIRIT Creatives NGO
Germany - Iranprotest-Lund/ Sweden
Sweden - Jamaa Resource Initiatives, Kenya
Kenya - Jeunesse Unie pour le Progrès et le Développement (JUPD)
Benin - Kivu development destiny
South Africa - Ligue Congolaise de lutte contre la Corruption Licoco
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Mothers Rise Up
UK - Movimiento Rios Vivos
Costa Rica - Observatoire Congolais des Droits de l'Homme (OCDH)
Republic of Congo - Observatoire d’études et d’appui à la responsabilité sociale et environnementale
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Otros Mundos Chiiapas/Amigos de la Tierrra México
México - Pacific Network on Globalisation
Pacific Island Countries - Paul K. Feyerabend Foundation
Switzerland - RedAfros
República Dominicana - Rede para o Decrescimento
Portugal - Rencontre pour la Paix et les Droits de l'Homme (RPDH)
Republic of Congo - Réseau d’information et d’appui aux ONG en République démocratique du Congo (RIAO-RDC)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Resource Matters
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Rettet den Regenwald
Germany - Sambhav Social Service Organization
India - Save My World
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) - Société coopérative pour le développement agricole en territoire de Fizi (SOCOODAF)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Struggle to Economize Future Environment (SEFE)
Cameroon - SYNAPARCAM
Cameroon - Tasha Research Institute Africa
Uganda - The Kesho Trust
Tanzania - The Oakland Institute
USA - Tools for Change
USA - Universitat Pompeu Fabra
México/España - University of Arizona Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program
United States - Windrose Fund
USA - Women needed peace
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Working group Food Justice
The Netherlands - XRebellion
USA - Zimbabwe People's Land Rights Movement
Zimbabwe
