ICG Urges DRC to Halt Harassment Against Rwandophone Minorities

The International Contact Group for the Great Lakes (ICG) has issued a joint statement expressing profound concern over the escalating situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and specifically called on all parties to cease actions targeting Rwandophone minorities.

In a statement released on March 5, the ICG, which includes the Governments of the United States, Belgium, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, urged parties to “stop incitement to hatred, discrimination or violence, including against Rwandophone minorities, and other actions that gravely endanger civilian populations and social cohesion.”

The joint statement, issued by the Office of the Spokesperson, underscores the international community’s alarm over continued violations of ceasefires agreed upon in the Washington Accords and the Doha process. The ICG stressed that there can be no military solution to the conflict and called for an urgent, unequivocal recommitment to ceasing hostilities and returning to negotiations.

The body commended the ongoing mediation efforts by AU-appointed mediator Faure Gnassingbé, the US, and Qatar, and recalled the importance of creating conditions for an inclusive inter-Congolese dialogue as a necessary element for durable peace in the DRC.

Furthermore, the ICG called on all parties to honor their obligations under international humanitarian law, ensuring full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access for those in need across the region.