The State Department says the escalation of violence poses a risk to millions of people facing displacement and deprivation.
The United States has condemned rising violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), blaming an armed group it says is backed by neighboring Rwanda.
Fighting has broken out in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent days between the M23 rebel group and government forces, killing or wounding dozens of soldiers and civilians.
The fighting has also forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee towards the eastern city of Goma, located between Lake Kivu and the border with Rwanda.
“This escalation has increased the risk for millions of people who were already exposed to human rights abuses, including displacement, deprivation and attacks,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
“The United States condemns Rwanda's support for the M23 armed group and calls on Rwanda to immediately withdraw all Rwanda Defense Forces personnel from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and withdraw its surface-to-air missile systems, which threaten the lives of civilians, the UN and other regional peace forces. , humanitarian actors and commercial flights in eastern DRC,” Miller added.
On Saturday, the Democratic Republic of the Congo accused Rwanda of carrying out a drone attack that damaged a civilian airliner at Goma airport.
“It obviously came from the territory of Rwanda, violating the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” said Lieutenant Colonel Guillaume Ndjike Kaito in a video released.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations and Western countries have accused Rwanda of backing rebels in a bid to control vast mineral resources, which Kigali has denied.
South Africa said on Wednesday it would send 2,900 troops to support Democratic Republic of Congo forces against the armed group.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been at war for decades with many rebel groups that emerged in its resource-rich eastern region following the Rwandan genocide.
The M23, which split from the DRC military in 2012, says it is fighting in defense of ethnic Congolese Tutsis who face tribal discrimination in the DRC.
