DR Congo: UNSC calls on Rwandan troops to leave

New York: The United Nations Security Council on Friday urged the Rwandan military to withdraw its support for the M23 rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and pull out its soldiers from Congolese territory "without preconditions."

Large patches of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are now under the control of the M23 rebel group with the support of some 4,000 Rwandan soldiers, according to UN experts.

On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution saying it "strongly condemns the ongoing offensive and advances of the M23 in North Kivu and South Kivu with the support of the Rwanda Defence Forces."

 It also called on the Rwanda Defence Forces "to cease support to the M23 and immediately withdraw from DRC territory without preconditions."

Earlier, the Security Council had called for an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" by all parties, but on Friday all countries including the three African members held Kigali responsible for the first time.

In a phone conversation with Kenya's President William Ruto on Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called for an immediate ceasefire.

Rwanda, however, denies the allegations that it supports the M23 rebels with armed troops.

Tensions of an escalating war loom as the M23 have captured the two largest cities in eastern Congo.

The M23 rebels have also gained control over Lake Kivu after its lightning offensive in the east.

The latest round of fights has forced more than 50,000 Congolese to move to Burundi, Uganda and other countries, according to the UN.

Since losing Bukavu to the rebels, the Congolese armed forces have barely put up a fight, instead retreating.

"Almost no Congolese soldiers are fighting," an observer said Friday, adding that the "only ones still fighting are the Wazalendo" pro-Kinshasa militia.

Congo accuses Rwanda of using M23 as a proxy to loot its natural resources. Meanwhile, Rwanda accuses Congo of supporting ethnic Hutu militias such as the FDLR, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda.