Jan. 24 (UPI) — Advances being made by the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are “heightening the threat of a regional war,” according to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Guterres demanded the Rwanda-backed group “to immediately cease its offensive, withdraw from all occupied areas and abide by the 31 July 2024 ceasefire agreement,” in a statement issued on Thursday through a U.N. spokesperson.
More than 178,000 people have been displaced over the last two weeks as M23 fighters make advances, according to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC, MONUSCO.
The group’s advances are primarily taking place in the Congo province of South Kivu, which shares a border to the east with both Burundi and Rwanda.
Rwanda’s government has denied any direct involvement with the M23 group, which has captured several smaller towns over the last week, forcing residents to leave.
The group came into existence in 2012, made up mainly of ethnic Tutsis who had left the Congolese army. It has an estimated 8,000 fighters, according to U.N. estimates.
Rebel group fighters are moving closer to Goma, the capital and largest city in the Congo’s North Kivu Province which has a population approaching 2 million.
Mediation between the Congolese government and M23 leadership has been going on in Angola since 2022, but hit a snag in December.
“The Secretary-General is deeply troubled by the most recent report of the Group of Experts established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1533, concerning the presence of Rwandan troops on Congolese soil and continued support to the M23,” Guterres said in the statement.
“He calls on all actors to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to put an end to all forms of support to armed groups, whether Congolese or foreign.”