Bob Menendez: “I rise to call upon the administration to take urgent action, as we did in 2012-2013, to pressure Rwanda to end its…”

“I rise to call upon the administration to take urgent action, as we did in 2012-2013, to pressure Rwanda to end its support for United Nations sanctioned M23 rebels and stop destabilizing eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, and to stress the need for DRC to hold credible, on-time elections in December 2023. According to the final report by the U.N. Group of Experts for the DRC, Rwandan support for the M23 extends from the highest levels in Kigali, including the Minister of Defense, an alarming allegation. Rwandan troops now are fighting alongside the M23 inside DRC, and the Rwandan Government is providing the M23 with weapons, uniforms, and equipment. M23 has killed hundreds of Congolese civilians over the past year, including the November 29 massacre of more than 170 men, women, and children in the village of Kishishe. With Rwandan support, M23 downed a U.N. helicopter, killing U.N. peacekeepers, recruited child soldiers, and displaced more than 1 million Congolese in eastern DRC. Incidents of sexual violence targeting internally displaced persons are also skyrocketing. On June 13, Human Rights Watch reported that, ``Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have committed unlawful killings, rape, and other apparent war crimes since late 2022.'' There is overwhelming evidence of Rwandan support for M23, and M23 has repeatedly failed to adhere to ceasefire agreements brokered by the East African Community.…”