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Lobbyists representing both Rwanda and DR Congo have stepped up activity on Capitol Hill in recent days after M23 rebels, backed by Kigali, took control of the key eastern Congo city of Goma.
The fighters have now said they will push on to the capital city Kinshasa, further raising the prospect of a full-blown regional conflict in an area larger than Western Europe.
The M23 militia is currently more than 900 miles (1,500 kilometers) from Kinshasa, but one of the group’s political leaders said the rebels aim to “take power and lead the country,” The Associated Press reported.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said further attacks on its peacekeeping forces stationed in the region would be considered a “declaration of war,” while Rwandan President Paul Kagame accused Pretoria of being a “belligerent force.”
