The United States announces a series of sanctions against leaders of armed groups active in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but also military officials. They are accused of “contribute to the escalation of the conflict” In the region.
According to a statement from the Treasury Department, the escalation began at the end of 2021, with after the takeover of part of the territory of the province of North Kivu, bordering Rwanda, by the M23 militia, which the United States United accuse of being supported by the Rwandan government.
The M23 movement has led to an intensification of fighting with the Congolese army as well as other armed groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), made up of Hutu combatants who have taken refuge in the DRC and whose States United believe they have “collaborated with several army officers“Congolese.
Three officials targeted
The sanctions therefore target three FDLR officials, a second-in-command of the M23, a colonel from the Congolese army but also a brigadier general from the Rwandan Defense Forces, including units “entered Congolese territory and provided support to the M23, which has long-term connections with the Rwandan government“.
The sanctions announced provide in particular for the freezing of assets held in the United States by the persons concerned as well as the prohibition for any American citizen or entity to exchange with one or the other. The prohibition also concerns any material support, via food, goods or services, intended for the persons concerned.
Eastern DRC, plagued by conflict for nearly three decades, is experiencing an upsurge in attacks against civilians by armed groups and militias, resulting in the displacement of populations. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) indicated in early August that “since March 2022, more than 3.3 million people have been displaced in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu due to armed violence, bringing the total number of displaced people in these three provinces at 5.6 millions”.
Some 27 million people – more than a quarter of the DRC’s total population – face acute food insecurity and 2.8 million children suffer from severe malnutrition, the Commission says. The country is also faced with recurrent epidemics of cholera, measles and Ebola in particular. UNICEF said on Friday that 21,400 cases of cholera had been reported in North Kivu province alone, including 8,000 children.
2023-08-24 16:29:27
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