Congolese President Félix Shisekedi has claimed that Rwanda is in violation of a newly signed agreement as M23 fighter jets reportedly advance toward Uvira.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi has accused Rwanda of violating a newly signed US-brokered peace deal as the Kigali-backed M23 armed group advances rapidly into towns near the border with Burundi.
Tshisekedi told lawmakers on Monday that Rwandan forces had carried out attacks in several locations in South Kivu province in the days since he and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame signed a peace deal aimed at ending the years-long conflict in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 4.
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“Despite our good faith and the recently ratified agreement, it is clear that Rwanda is already in violation of its commitments,” Tshisekedi claimed, claiming that the Rwandan military carried out and supported a heavy weapons attack “the day after it was signed.”
There was no immediate comment from Rwanda. Anadolu news agency quoted Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Ndufungirehe as saying similar accusations against the Rwandan military were “ridiculous” and an attempt to shift blame.
Rwanda denies supporting M23, but says it faces a threat from the armed group linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Thursday’s signing of the deal reaffirms the two countries’ commitment to the June deal brokered by the United States and Qatar, which US President Donald Trump hailed as a new chapter for the region despite ongoing fighting.
“This is a great day. A great day for Africa, a great day for the world, a great day for both countries,” President Trump said at the time.
Clashes near Burundi border
In eastern DRC, the armed group M23 has advanced on the town of Uvira near the border with Burundi, the last major city in South Kivu province not yet in the group’s hands, AFP news agency reported.
Citing local and military sources, the station reported that hundreds of Congolese troops and their Burundian allies had taken refuge in Burundi as the group advanced.
Recent clashes were also reported near the hamlet of Lubungi, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) north of Uvira. Reuters reported, citing residents, that M23 fighter jets had taken control of the village.
Fighting was also reported in the nearby town of Sange, located between Uvira and Lubungi, with Reuters reporting that up to 36 people were killed in an apparent bomb or grenade attack.
Burundi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday condemned a Rwandan attack on its territory near the border town of Cibitoke with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo that left two people, including a 12-year-old child, injured.
Reporting from Goma, the largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Al Jazeera’s Alain Ouaikani said tensions were rising as the M23 advanced through Uvira.
He said the Democratic Republic of the Congo had been concentrating military resources in the region for months to try to block any advance.
“However, this did not stop the M23’s advance,” he said, adding that “institutional disarray” between the DRC military and its allies was increasing the challenge of defending against the M23.
Washington ‘deeply concerned’
The US State Department said it was “deeply concerned by the continuing violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
“Rwanda, which continues to support M23, must prevent further escalation,” the spokesperson said.
A senior Trump administration official told Reuters that the United States was monitoring the situation “including in areas where actions on the ground are not yet consistent with commitments.” The official said the administration is working with both sides and that President Trump has made clear he “expects immediate results.”
President Trump praised the “miracle” deal signed Thursday, which includes an economic component aimed at securing America’s supplies of critical minerals, but observers were skeptical it would bring peace.
A series of ceasefire agreements over the years have failed to end fighting in the country’s restive east.
