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| [Global: Africa]
Jean-Marie Runiga the M23's political leader who was handpicked by Rwanda's defense minister has been added on the United Nations sanctions list by the Security Council.
Sanctioned officials are subjected to having their assets frozen and a travel ban.
The Security Council also yesterday imposed an arms embargo on M23, which briefly seized the Congo city of Goma with Rwanda's support in November. Following sharp international outcry the rogue Rwanda- and Uganda-backed army, which was accused of "widespread war crimes" by Human Rights Watch, withdrew from the city.
Separately, the U.S. Senate earlier voted on sanctions "on those providing financial, material, or technological support to the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo" while noting that according to "a report by the U.N. Group of Experts, the group is reported to be receiving significant assistance from neighboring Rwanda."
The United Nations report by the Group of Experts said M23's nominal leaders who include Bosco Ntaganda, wanted by the ICC and facing a travel ban, and Sultani Makeni, also on the sanctions list received "direct orders" from Rwanda's military chief of staff Gen. Charles Kayonga, who in turn reported to defense minister, Gen. James Kabarebe.
The UN report said Ntaganda also owns two homes in Kampala, the Ugandan capital and M23's leaders held regular meetings with Gen. Yoweri Museveni's presidential advisor on military affairs, who is his brother Gen. Salim Saleh; and, also met with Uganda's police chief Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura.
According to the UN report Gen. Kabarebe, in addition to picking Jean-Marie Runiga as political leader of M23, also selected other officials who didn't know they were in a "cabinet" until after they met together for the first time.
The sanctions pre-empts a "press conference" that Jean-Marie Runiga plans to hold on January 4 inside Congolese territory. Also added on the sanctions list is M23's Lt. Col. Eric Badege.
Previously the Security Council had sanctioned M23's Makenga, Baudoin Ngaruye and Innocent Kaina; now the entire outfit is under sanctions.
The Security Council also announced sanctions on the FDLR (The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), an army made of ex-Rwanda soldiers who are accused by the Kigali regime of wanting to destabilize Rwanda and of including fighter who participated in the 1994 genocide. Congo says FDLR is now in alliance with M23.
"We urge the rank and file of both the M23 and the FDLR to defect and demobilize in order to disassociate themselves from the sanctioned groups," U.S. ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said in a statement.
A New York Times article on December 9 reported that Rice had been accused by human rights organizations of protecting Rwanda's Gen. Paul Kagame by blocking the release of the UN's critical report on Rwanda's support for M23, then insisting that Rwanda not be directly referred to in the report's final version.
Rwanda joined the 15-member Security Council today, as a non-permanent member for a two-year term, a move criticized by Human Rights groups.
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