United Nations chief Antonio Guterres called on Sunday on Rwandan forces to withdraw from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and halt support for fighters advancing on the key Congolese city of Goma.
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M23 fighters backed by several thousand Rwandan troops have been quickly advancing towards the city, which lies along Congo’s eastern border and is home to more than a million people.
Several foreign peacekeepers have been killed in the mounting violence around Goma.
“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the escalating violence” and “calls on the Rwanda Defence Forces to cease support to the M23 and withdraw from DRC territory”, said a statement from Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Guterres had previously referred to a UN experts’ report citing Kigali’s backing of the M23, but had not explicitly called on Rwanda to withdraw from Congo territory.
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In his statement on Sunday, made after three UN peacekeepers in eastern Congo had been killed within 48 hours, Guterres emphasised that “attacks against United Nations personnel may constitute a war crime”.