Rwanda accuses DR Congo, Burundi of breaching ceasefire amid renewed violence

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 Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group captured the strategic city of Uvira near the Burundian border late Tuesday, the latest major settlement to fall in the mineral-rich region that has suffered decades of conflict.

Thousands of civilians, along with numerous Congolese soldiers, have fled into Burundi, which has deployed troops to assist the DRC in countering the M23 fighters supported by Kigali, according to military sources.

In a statement on X, Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the recent attacks “cannot be placed on Rwanda,” accusing the Congolese and Burundian armies of systematically bombing civilian villages near the Rwandan border using fighter jets and attack drones. The statement added that the M23 had been forced to respond.

“These deliberate breaches of the recently negotiated agreements pose serious obstacles to lasting peace,” Rwanda said.

The clashes undermine the ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump, signed by Kinshasa and Kigali on December 4. In response, the United States and several European countries urged both the M23 and Rwanda to immediately halt their offensive.