Rwanda urged by US to withdraw troops from Congo as Ebola limits trap 100 migrants

U.S. adviser Massad Boulos called on Rwanda to complete the withdrawal of its forces from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and urged Kinshasa to neutralise the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). He announced new U.S. sanctions targeting senior commanders of the M23 rebel group and the FDLR, linking the measures to the implementation of the Washington Accords. "Les Forces de défense Rwandaises doivent achever leur retrait de la RDC sans plus tarder, et la RDC doit neutraliser de manière décisive les FDLR", he said.

At the same time, about a hundred Congolese have been stranded for nearly two weeks at the Rusumo crossing on the Tanzania‑Rwanda border after Rwanda denied them transit over Ebola‑related health measures. "Nous sommes de nombreuses personnes venues de Tanzanie à qui le transit par le Rwanda a été refusé. On nous a demandé de retourner en Tanzanie, pour des raisons liées à Ebola", one traveller explained. The travelers, lacking food and shelter, have appealed for assistance as Rwanda’s restriction on anyone who has been in the DRC in the past 30 days disrupts trade and movement in cities such as Goma and Bukavu.