As the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO is due to withdraw its forces from North Kivu, the Congolese government has said that conditions are not right for the withdrawal of UN troops.
Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner stressed that with the presence of Rwandan troops and the aggression of Rwanda, it is very difficult to envisage such a situation at the moment.
A recent UN report revealed that 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers were actively involved in M23 operations, exercising effective control over the conflict.
Rwanda has consistently rejected accusations from Congo and Western nations that it supports the M23 through troop and weapon supplies.
The Congolese foreign minister welcomed Congo's efforts to raise international awareness of Rwanda's involvement in the M23 conflict, saying: "Our publics are increasingly aware that Rwanda may be a peacekeeper in some countries, but it is a warmonger in the Great Lakes region."
Fighting in North Kivu province has driven more than 1.7 million people from their homes, bringing the total number of Congolese displaced by multiple conflicts to a record 7.2 million, according to UN estimates.
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