The Democratic Republic of Congo's foreign minister criticized the international community on Wednesday for its lack of action regarding the offensive by the M23 armed group, which is supported by Rwanda, in the eastern part of the country.
"We see a lot of declarations, but we don't see actions," Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner told journalists following her meeting with her Belgian counterpart in Brussels.
She described the crisis as a threat to international peace and security, claiming that there were more than 4,000 Rwandan soldiers on Congolese soil. She also questioned how the armed group managed to almost neutralize a United Nations peacekeeping mission.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot supported the calls for action and suggested that sanctions should be imposed on Rwanda due to the conflict.
Deadly Clashes in Goma Spark ICC Concerns as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
Clashes last week in Goma, where M23 and Rwandan forces took control, have resulted in at least 2,900 deaths, according to a United Nations official. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court has announced that it is monitoring the situation, citing credible reports of hundreds of casualties in the ongoing violence.
The worsening security situation has severely impacted humanitarian efforts. The International Organization for Migration and other UN partners have been forced to suspend activities due to the halt in USAID funding, according to the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC. In occupied Goma, humanitarian workers are battling the risk of disease outbreaks while trying to deliver aid to affected populations.