Rwanda has accused the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi of deliberately violating a ceasefire in eastern DRC, just days after a peace agreement was signed in Washington.
The accusation comes as fighting escalated, with Rwandan-backed M23 fighters entering the strategic city of Uvira, near the Burundian border, late Tuesday. Uvira is the latest major settlement to fall in the conflict-plagued, mineral-rich region.
The renewed violence has caused thousands of civilians and scores of Congolese soldiers to flee across the border into Burundi. Burundi has reportedly sent troops to aid the DRC in fighting the M23 and its Rwandan allies, according to military sources.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Rwandan foreign ministry asserted that recent violations “cannot be placed on Rwanda.”
The ministry claimed that “the Congolese Army (FARDC) and the Burundian Army (FDNB)… had been systematically bombing civilian villages close to the Rwandan border, using fighter jets and attack drones.”
The statement noted that the M23 has said it was forced to counter these attacks.
These deliberate violations of recently negotiated agreements constitute serious obstacles to peace,” the statement concluded.
The escalation undermines an agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump and signed by Kinshasa and Kigali less than a week ago, on December 4.
Following the renewed fighting, the United States and several European countries issued a joint statement on Tuesday urging the M23 and Kigali to immediately cease their offensive.
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