US Senators Voice Concern Over M23 Occupation in Eastern DR Congo
The M23 rebels, reportedly supported by neighboring Rwanda according to the United Nations and Western governments, currently hold significant territory in the region, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, which were captured in early 2025.
Senators Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho, and Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire and respectively the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the remarks following a recent attack on Kisangani Bangoka International Airport claimed by the Congo River Alliance, a political-military coalition that includes M23 fighters.
The Wednesday meeting with Tshisekedi at the US Capitol focused on the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity and the future of US-DRC bilateral relations. The committee expressed “concerns about the ongoing occupation of parts of Eastern Congo by the Rwanda-backed M23 group, and the urgent need for Rwandan forces to fully withdraw from the region if there is to be any chance at real, lasting peace.”
In December 2025, Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame signed a US-brokered peace deal aimed at ending hostilities in eastern DRC.
The senators emphasized that Washington is “ready to be a stronger partner to the DRC” while also calling for action against those violating previous agreements to deter further breaches.
They additionally highlighted the humanitarian crisis in the region, noting that 26 million people are facing acute food insecurity, which they described as “intolerable.”
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