KIGALI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe on Friday acknowledged the latest statement issued by the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes (ICG) regarding the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
In a post on the social platform X, the minister described the statement as balanced and in line with measures Rwanda has been calling for over the past months.
"This is a balanced statement by the International Contact Group, which expresses concern over the continued violation of the ceasefire, with a particular focus on attack drones used against civilian populations," he said.
It also urges all parties to implement their obligations and commitments under the Washington and Doha processes, which should start with the full implementation of the Concept of Operations, Nduhungirehe added.
"The statement further calls for an inter-Congolese dialogue in DRC to complement the Washington and Doha processes, and condemns incitement to hatred against the Congolese Tutsi. These are common-sense measures that we have been calling for over the past months," he said.
On Thursday, the ICG, comprising Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States and the European Union, expressed profound concern over continued and recent ceasefire violations in eastern DRC.
The group noted that violations include the use of drones in military attacks, which pose an acute risk to civilian populations. It urged all parties involved to urgently and unequivocally recommit to ceasing the hostilities and returning to negotiations.
The statement came days after the United States imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) and four of its senior officials over alleged support for the March 23 Movement in eastern DRC. Rwanda rejected the allegations, describing the sanctions as unfair and one-sided. ■
