Rubio presses Rwanda leader for immediate ceasefire

Rubio presses Rwanda leader for immediate ceasefire

WASHINGTON
Rubio presses Rwanda leader for immediate ceasefire

Rwanda security officials check people crossing from Congo in Gisenyi, Rwanda, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, following M23 rebels' advances into eastern Congo's capital Goma.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Jan. 28 pressed Rwanda for an immediate ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of Congo as he voiced alarm over Kigali-backed rebels entering the key city of Goma.

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In a call with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Rubio "stressed the United States is deeply troubled by escalation of the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, particularly the fall of Goma to the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group," a State Department statement said.

The new top U.S. diplomat "urged an immediate ceasefire in the region, and for all parties to respect sovereign territorial integrity," it said.

Kagame said yesterday that he and Rubio had a "productive conversation" about "the need to ensure a ceasefire" in eastern DRC.

"I look forward to working with the Trump Administration to create the prosperity and security that the people of our region deserve," Kagame said on social media platform X.

The United States for years has warned Rwanda about its support for the M23.

The M23 in recent days have advanced on Goma, entering the city and taking control of the airport.

Rwanda has denied charges it is seeking control of minerals, saying its aim is to tackle an armed group called the FDLR, primarily composed of Hutu militants formed in the wake of the Rwandan genocide.

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