The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame during the World Economic Forum in Davos. Blinken expressed the United States’ commitment to supporting peaceful resolutions and preventing conflicts between Rwanda and Congo, particularly in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He commended Kagame’s leadership in seeking a positive and peaceful way forward and looked forward to discussing the matter further. The Congolese President, Felix Tshisekedi, has accused Rwanda and Kagame of providing military support to the M23 rebels, a group made up of Congolese Tutsi fighters who have captured towns in mineral-rich North Kivu. The United Nations and human rights organizations have also accused M23 of committing atrocities, including rape and mass killings, and allege that Rwanda backs the rebels. Rwanda, however, denies any association with the M23 rebels. In December, a 72-hour cease-fire was agreed upon by Congolese security forces and rebel groups to ease tensions in the eastern part of the country near the Rwandan border, just days before Congo’s presidential election.
