Photo : Olympia de Maismont, AFP
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Olympia de Maismont, AFP
IN BRIEF
by Anu Maria Joseph and Apoorva Sudhakar
Burkina Faso: Government orders UN official to leave country
On 23 December, Burkina Faso government ordered UN resident coordinator Barbara Manzi to leave immediately declaring “persona non grata.” Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba said that recent statements by the UN warning the surging Islamist insurgency threat in the country had discredited Burkina Faso and limited potential investors. The insurgency has left nearly two million people displaced and prompted two military coups within a year. (“Burkina Faso tells UN country chief to leave,” BBC, 23 December 2022)
Rwanda-DRC: Evidence reported on Rwanda backing M23 rebels in DR Congo, says UN experts
On 23 December, in a leaked report by UN experts said that it has found evidence of Rwanda engaging in military operations in Democratic Republic of Congo as well as assisting M23 rebels. The report came following DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi asserting that Rwanda has been supporting the M23 rebels and the Rwandan government's repeated denial. The report says that M23 rebels has been pillaging, theft, extortion, torture, rape and killing with the support of Rwandan armed forces in eastern DR Congo. (“Rwanda backing M23 rebels in DR Congo - leaked UN report,” BBC, 23 December 2022)