The fighting, in a war that has lasted decades, has increased the risk of an all-out conflict between DRC and Rwanda. The hostilities could impact the Central African nation’s neighbors and regional forces, including those from South Africa, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi.
"The United States firmly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC and lasting peace for all Congolese people. Rwanda and the DRC must walk back from the brink of war," Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood told a meeting of the 15-member Security Council on Tuesday.
The Security Council's DRC sanctions committee imposed an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze on two leaders with the Allied Democratic Forces, ADF, one leader from the Twirwaneho armed group and one from the National People's Coalition for the Sovereignty of Congo, CNPSC rebels.
Also added to the U.N. list were M23’s military spokesperson and a leader with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, FDLR, founded by Hutus who fled Rwanda after taking part in the 1994 genocide of more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
"These individuals are responsible for numerous abuses," Wood said of the six sanctioned individuals.
A U.N. peacekeeping force, known as MONUSCO, has been deployed in DRC for more than 13 years after taking over from an earlier operation in 2010 to help quell insecurity in the east of the Central African nation.
The U.N. Security Council approved the end of the mission in December following a request by President Felix Tshisekedi in September to fast-track the withdrawal of the peacekeepers.