US Ambassador Mike Waltz
U.S. Vows to Hold Rwanda, M23 Accountable for Congo War Crimes
At the UN, the U.S. warned Rwanda and M23 will be held accountable for fueling war in eastern Congo and obstructing peace under the Washington Accord.
Published:
December 12, 2025 at 7:31:18 PM
Modified:
May 15, 2026 at 7:03:26 PM
New York – December 12, 2025 | In a scathing statement delivered before the United Nations Security Council, the US Ambassador Mike Waltz has accused Rwanda of orchestrating a full-scale military and political campaign in eastern Congo, undermining the Washington Peace Accord signed just last week.
Rather than a march toward peace, Rwanda is leading the region toward instability and war,” the U.S. representative declared, citing credible evidence of Kigali’s direct involvement in the renewed M23 offensive in South Kivu.
The address, delivered during negotiations over the future mandate of MONUSCO, painted a deeply troubling picture of the scope, sophistication, and strategic intent behind Rwanda’s actions, from deploying suicide drones and artillery strikes into Burundi to fielding between 5,000 and 7,000 troops inside Congolese territory.
A Coordinated Proxy War Under Rwanda’s Command
According to the U.S., Rwanda exercises full strategic and operational control over both the M23 rebel group and its political arm, the Congo River Alliance (AFC). The evidence, the U.S. said, includes direct Rwandan involvement in military planning, command, and battlefield deployment, with recent escalations including surface-to-air missile systems and sophisticated drone warfare.
Kigali has been intimately involved in planning and executing the war, the U.S. statement affirmed. “This is no longer a question of support; it is direct participation.”
Rwanda's support has also included electronic warfare, such as GPS spoofing and signal jamming, which has effectively grounded MONUSCO’s air operations, obstructing its ability to move, resupply, or protect civilians in and around Goma.
Spoilers to Peace Will Be Held Accountable
The U.S. warned that it would use “tools at its disposal” to hold accountable “spoilers to peace”, referring to both Rwanda and M23. It also demanded: The immediate withdrawal of Rwandan forces from Congolese territory, an end to attacks on civilians, Unfettered humanitarian access, and the lifting of the M23 blockade on MONUSCO
The fact that UN peacekeepers are under siege by forces backed by a member state, which is itself a troop contributor to peacekeeping, is a sad hypocrisy,” the U.S. said.
MONUSCO Must Be Allowed to Function”
As the Security Council debates MONUSCO’s future, the U.S. emphasized that its effectiveness depends entirely on the ability to operate freely, warning that Rwanda’s obstruction is not just a breach of peace but a violation of international law.
We remain steadfast in our support of MONUSCO and its role in implementing the Doha and Washington agreements,” the U.S. concluded. “These agreements hold historic potential to end decades of suffering in eastern DRC, but only if respected.”
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