Rwanda has accused the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi of deliberately breaching a recently signed peace agreement, issuing the allegation on Wednesday—just a day after fighters linked to Rwanda advanced into a key eastern Congolese city.
According to military and security sources, armed members of the M23 rebel group entered Uvira, a strategic border city near Burundi, late Tuesday.
The incursion came despite calls from the United States and European powers demanding that M23 halt its offensive and that Rwanda withdraw its troops from eastern DRC.
As M23 forces appeared poised to capture the last major city in South Kivu province still outside their control, civilians and Congolese soldiers fled toward Burundi.
The Burundian military, which has deployed forces to assist the DRC against the Rwandan-backed rebels, reported increased movement at the border.
In a statement posted on X, Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected claims of wrongdoing, insisting that the recent escalation “cannot be placed on Rwanda.” The ministry accused the Congolese and Burundian armies of “systematically” bombing villages along Rwanda’s border.
The statement added that the AFC/M23—part of the broader Alliance of the River Congo (AFC) military-political coalition—had been “forced to counter” as a result of those alleged attacks.
“These deliberate violations of recently negotiated agreements constitute serious obstacles to peace,” the ministry said.
On Monday, both the DRC and Burundi accused Rwanda of violating the peace agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, aimed at halting decades of conflict in the mineral-rich eastern DRC. The deal was signed on December 4, less than a week ago.
The latest M23 advance follows nearly a year after the group seized the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, in an escalation that deepened instability in a region plagued by conflict for more than 30 years.
Burundi considers the potential fall of Uvira to M23 forces a direct threat to its national security, as the city lies just across Lake Tanganyika from its economic capital, Bujumbura.
The country deployed around 10,000 troops to eastern DRC under a 2023 military cooperation pact, a force which security sources say has since grown to roughly 18,000 soldiers.
About the Author
