Nairobi — The African Union Commission (AUC) has warned the West against "interfering with the internal affairs" of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda amid simmering tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali.

AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki voiced his concerns over the ongoing tension in the east of the DRC, where the Congolese Army, backed by troops drawn from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has been battling the M23 rebels.

Faki reiterated his call for rapid de-escalation and cessation of hostilities between DRC and Rwanda while urging foreign entities to refrain from meddling in African state affairs.

"It (AUC) calls on all foreign powers to completely refrain from any interference in the internal affairs of all African countries, particularly those of the African Great Lakes," AUC Chairperson said in a statement on Wednesday.

His appeal comes at a time when both the United States and the European Union have urged the two East African Member States to de-escalate the conflict.

Call to order

On February 17, the Joe Biden administration in the US called on Rwanda to immediately withdraw its troops from the DRC and remove its surface-to-air missile systems, citing concerns over civilian safety and commercial flight operations in eastern DRC.

Similarly, the US urged Kinshasa to end its support for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel group.

To peacefully resolve the conflict, Faki called on President Paul Kagame and his DRC counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, to engage in dialogue within the framework of the Luanda and Nairobi processes.

Angola's President João Lorenzo and Kenya's former President Uhuru Kenyatta spearhead the two African mechanisms.

Faki stressed the importance of collaborative efforts between Kigali and Kinshasa to find a reasonable approach to resolving political disputes, emphasizing the need to prioritize the protection of lives and respect for national sovereignty.

"The integrity, security, sovereignty, and stability of all states in the region must be ensured, and the lives of civilian populations fully protected," he added.

The Chairperson of the Commission maintained that there can be no military solution to the problems and differences within the African fraternity.