The Congolese government has faulted Rwanda and the M23 armed group for frustrating peace processes intended to allow voters to participate in the December general election in the DRC.

Patrick Muyaya, the Congolese government’s spokesperson on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, told Bloomberg News that whereas the US and United Nations are pressuring the DRC to conduct elections by December 2023, Rwanda and M23 rebels have continued to interfere with the processes.

”The United States government, together with other international partners, is exerting pressure on us to ensure that these elections are conducted within the designated timeframe. However, due to the presence of the M23, over 1.5 million individuals remain unregistered in Masisi and Rutshuru,” said Muyaya.

Muyaya said for months, authorities have been prevented from entering opposition territory to complete the registration procedure, which was finally completed in April.

“The M23 has refused to totally remove its troops without first holding discussions with the Congolese government, and President Felix Tshisekedi has rejected this demand, which has caused the disarming of the militia to halt,” said Muyaya.

Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the M23 group, said they have requested the DRC engage in dialogue with the intention of addressing the underlying causes of conflict.

“This initiative aims to prevent the transformation of political issues into military challenges; the M23 group is no longer obligated to withdraw,” said Kanyuka.

Yolande Makolo, the Rwandan spokesperson, said they were dedicated to the continuous regional peace mechanism.

The region of eastern Congo has been afflicted by persistent conflict for numerous decades, mostly due to its abundance of valuable resources. This ongoing turmoil has given rise to concerns regarding the potential escalation of hostilities between the Congolese government and neighboring Rwanda.