In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the advance of Rwanda-backed M23 insurgents, who have already taken two key cities in the mineral-rich eastern part of the country, is triggering panic. Reports of the surge describe widespread looting, killings, attacks on aid and mass displacement. Thousands of people have fled to neighboring Burundi over the last few days as the U.N. accused M23 of killing children and attacking hospitals. Our guest Kambale Musavuli, a Congolese author and human rights advocate, speaks to us from Ghana about Western countries’ ongoing demand for Congo’s minerals and their complicity in the deadly violence. Industrial nations as well as celebrated musicians and sports teams from the West have refused to cancel agreements and appearances with Rwandan dictator Paul Kagame, explains Musavuli, “clearly telling us that the lives of the millions of Congolese do not matter.”

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: We turn now to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has taken vast areas of the eastern DRC and is marching on the strategic city of Uvira near the border with Burundi, triggering panic, with residents reporting widespread looting, bodies lying in the streets, and government forces commandeering boats to escape the insurgents’ advance. M23 is also advancing on the city of Butembo north of Goma, which the armed group seized in January in an offensive that killed some 3,000 people.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has accused M23 of killing children and attacking hospitals and warehouses storing humanitarian aid, and says as many as 15,000 people have fled into Burundi in recent days. On Wednesday, the Congolese foreign minister addressed the U.N. Security Council.

THÉRÈSE KAYIKWAMBA WAGNER: We are looking for a political solution, and we’re committed to it. The problem that we have is that despite the commitments that Rwanda or the lip service that Rwanda serves to the cause of a political solution, when we look on the ground, we see desolation; we see the constant advance of the M23; we see executions of children, as reported by the OHCHR yesterday; and we see that Rwanda is not being faithful or keeping their words and not being sincere in engaging in a political solution.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: In an interview with CNN earlier this month, Rwandan President Paul Kagame claimed he was unaware of any Rwandan military troops fighting in the eastern DRC.

LARRY MADOWO: Today, on the 3rd of February, does Rwanda currently have any troops at all in eastern DRC?

PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME: I don’t know.

LARRY MADOWO: You’re the commander-in-chief.

PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME: Yeah. There are many things I don’t know.

AMY GOODMAN: That was Kagame, the president of Rwanda, being interviewed by CNN’s Larry Madowo.

For more, we’re joined by the Congolese analyst and activist Kambale Musavuli, who’s now based in Accra, Ghana, policy analyst with the Center for Research on the Congo-Kinshasa, and his latest piece for Peoples Dispatch headlined “The battle for control of Goma continues.”

Welcome back to Democracy Now!,........

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