"Rwanda wishes to ... draw attention to the fact that the alarming situation prevailing in eastern DRC is a result of gross violations (by Kinshasa) of the Lusaka ceasefire agreement and the Pretoria agreement," Rwanda's foreign ministry said in a statement addressed to the UN Security Council and the international community.
The statement, a copy of which was sent to AFP, reiterated that Rwanda, in compliance with the Pretoria agreement, signed in July 2002 between Kigali and the Kinshasa, "totally withdrew all its troops from the DRC within the specified 90 days deadline." It said Kinshasa had on the other hand failed to disarm and repatriate Rwandan Hutu extremists remaining in the DRC as agreed and had instead "continued to support them, enabling them to take over most of the positions previously held by Rwandan forces".
"These forces have been receiving arms and ammunition through the airfields of Minembwe, Kilimba, Mwenga, Kilembwe and Shabunda (in sud-Kivu and Maniema provinces) and through Lake Tanganyika," the statement said.
It claimed that the forces were poised to attack the DRC towns of Uvira and Bukavu, which are located near the border with Rwanda, thus threatening DRC's small neighbour to the east and creating an "unacceptable situation".
The statement also criticised the presence of Kinshasa government troops in several towns and villages in the east of the country, saying the forces were there in violation of the 1999 Lusaka ceasefire agreement, signed by all belligerents in the DRC war - Sapa-AFP.
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