Urgent call for EU, US and UK to stop Rwanda-backed M23 attacks in Eastern DRC

Date: 13 February 2025

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have recently captured Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This is the latest escalation in the three decades of armed conflict in Eastern DRC, which has caused over 6 million deaths since 1996.

The offensive by M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) have engendered a grave humanitarian crisis, leading to at least 3,000 deaths in Goma, displacing over 700,000 people in the last two months and causing widespread human rights violations according to UN sources. The already precarious humanitarian situation has further deteriorated with the capture of Goma, which acted as a humanitarian regional hub and place of refuge for civilians. Despite announcing a ceasefire, M23’s advance continues in South Kivu whereas the rebel group intends to capture Bukavu, which has raised fears of further intensification of the war.

The United Nations has gathered overwhelming evidence that Rwanda is actively supporting and directing M23’s offensive in Eastern DRC. It has also been widely documented that Rwanda is a key actor in the illicit extraction of eastern DRC’s minerals, driven by demand from companies and governments of the global North. Extraction and misappropriation has been a major driver of the war for three decades, continuing a long history of exploitation and plundering of the country started in the colonial period.

Considering their extensive economic, political and aid support to Rwanda, we, the undersigned organizations, call on the US, the EU, its member states and the UK to:

Put pressure on the government of Rwanda to halt the offensive in Eastern DRC and call for an immediate cessation of the violence.
Reconsider their financial aid to Rwanda until it withdraws its support to M23 and its soldiers from DRC’s territory.
Halt all support to Rwanda that may contribute to the offensive. This includes the current €20 million EU grant for military assistance to RDF’s operations in Mozambique, which was signed in the context of insurgent movements threatening the interests of Total Energies in Mozambique, and constitutes political and material support to the Rwandan army.

We also call on the EU to immediately cancel its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rwanda to cooperate on the supply of critical minerals, which gives a green light to the Government of Rwanda to plunder the minerals of Eastern Congo and therefore contributes to regional instability and the escalating human suffering there.

Signed:

198 methods
USA

A Growing Culture
USA

AbibiNsroma Foundation
Ghana

Actions pour la Promotion et Protection des Peuples et Espèces Menacés en RDC (APEM-RDC)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Africa Center for Energy and Environmental Sustainability
Ghana

Alerte Congolaise pour l’environnement et les droits de l’homme
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Alliance Nationale d’Appui et de promotion des Aires du Patrimoine Autochtone et Communautaire (ANAPAC RDC)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Association pour la défense des droits à l’eau et à l’assainissement
Senegal

Attac Austria
Austria

Attac France
France

Attac Italia
Italy

Attac Spain
Spain

Call To Action
USA

Catholic Network US
USA

cBalance Solution Hub
India

CECIDE
Guinea

Ceden
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Centre for Citizens Conserving Environment & Management (CECIC)
Uganda

Climáximo
Portugal

Commission Justice et Paix de Pointe Noire
Republic of Congo

Communauté Congolaise Pietermaritzburg
South Africa

Communities First
USA

CORAP
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Environmental Defender Law Center
Brazil

Fédération des comités des pêcheurs du Lac Albert (FECOPELA)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

FERN
Belgium

FSU
France

Global Justice Now
UK

Global Witness
Belgium

GroundWork / Friends of the Earth, South Africa
South Africa

Hawkmoth
The Netherlands

ICCA Consortium
Italy

IFI Monitoring Group
Cameroon

Indian Social Action Forum
India

Initiative for Equality
Global

INSPIRIT Creatives NGO
Germany

Iranprotest-Lund/ Sweden
Sweden

Jamaa Resource Initiatives, Kenya
Kenya

Jeunesse Unie pour le Progrès et le Développement (JUPD)
Benin

Kivu development destiny
South Africa

Ligue Congolaise de lutte contre la Corruption Licoco
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Mothers Rise Up
UK

Movimiento Rios Vivos
Costa Rica

Observatoire Congolais des Droits de l’Homme (OCDH)
Republic of Congo

Observatoire d’études et d’appui à la responsabilité sociale et environnementale
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Otros Mundos Chiiapas/Amigos de la Tierrra México
México

Pacific Network on Globalisation
Pacific Island Countries

Paul K. Feyerabend Foundation
Switzerland

RedAfros
República Dominicana

Rede para o Decrescimento
Portugal

Rencontre pour la Paix et les Droits de l’Homme (RPDH)
Republic of Congo

Réseau d’information et d’appui aux ONG en République démocratique du Congo (RIAORDC)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Resource Matters
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Rettet den Regenwald
Germany

Sambhav Social Service Organization
India

Save My World
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Société coopérative pour le développement agricole en territoire de Fizi (SOCOODAF)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Struggle to Economize Future Environment (SEFE)
Cameroon

SYNAPARCAM
Cameroon

Tasha Research Institute Africa
Uganda

The Kesho Trust
Tanzania

The Oakland Institute
USA

Tools for Change
USA

Universitat Pompeu Fabra
México/España

University of Arizona Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program
USA

Windrose Fund
USA

Women needed peace
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Working group Food Justice
The Netherlands

XRebellion
USA

Zimbabwe People’s Land Rights Movement
Zimbabwe

Photo: Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. Credit: Omri Eliyahu / Shutterstock.com