KINSHASA, DR Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi called Thursday for young people to form "vigilance groups" in the face of M23 rebel activity in the east of the country.
Tshisekedi repeated in an
address broadcast on national television that the M23 operated with "the
support of Rwanda", which he accused of harbouring "expansionist
ambitions".
A mostly Congolese Tutsi
group, the M23 resumed fighting in late 2021 after lying dormant for years,
accusing the Democratic Republic of Congo's government of failing to honour an
agreement to integrate its fighters into the army.
The group's resurgence has
destabilised regional relations in central Africa, with the DRC accusing its
smaller neighbour Rwanda of backing the militia.
Tshisekedi said Rwanda had set
its sights on "appropriating our minerals".
"To do this, it is
working to destabilise eastern Congo to create a lawless zone to satisfy its
criminal appetites," he said.
He added that diplomatic
efforts to ease tensions have not led to "any tangible result".
The conflict, he said, would
require "sacrifice", as well as "the engagement of all of (the
nation's) daughters and all of its sons".
"In response to the
strong demand from the youth, I invite them to organise themselves into
vigilance groups with a view to propping up, accompanying and supporting our
armed forces".
Tshisekedi also renewed his
call for young people to enlist in the army, while cautioning against
"stigmatisation of Rwandophone communities".
The M23 went back on the
offensive in late October after several weeks of calm, grabbing multiple
localities along an important road serving the strategic eastern city of Goma.
The DRC announced on Sunday
that it was expelling Rwanda's ambassador, while also recalling its own envoy
from Kigali earlier this week.
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