Protests denouncing Rwanda and Western nations unfolded across eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday, as participants accused them of complicity with a rebel group responsible for unrest in the region.
In Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, hundreds peacefully marched, advocating for the liberation of areas in North Kivu occupied by M23 rebels.
M23, also known as the March 23 Movement, primarily composed of Tutsi members, has been actively advancing in North Kivu for the past two years, with heightened combat recently observed near the provincial capital, Goma.
“The years pass, the dead, the suffering and the trauma multiply in this part of the country,” said Adrien Zawadi, president of a local civil society organisation, who added that “It must end.”
Western governments and the United Nations level allegations against Rwanda for supporting the M23, a claim vehemently denied by Kigali.
Protesters advocated for the closure of borders with Rwanda and Uganda, both accused of supporting the rebels. Additionally, some called for the severance of relations with the United States, France, and Britain, implicating them in collusion with Rwanda.
In Kisangani, Tshopo province, a similar demonstration urged a declaration of war against Rwanda and the cessation of diplomatic ties with allegedly complicit Western nations.
In the capital, Kinshasa, several hundred women marched on Wednesday, demanding an end to the war. Simultaneously, a few youths outside Western embassies and United Nations offices burned cars and tires as a form of protest.
