The Congo River Coalition and the M23 movement have accused the Congolese government of continuing military escalation in the country’s east, just days after signing a peace agreement with Rwanda in Washington under U.S. sponsorship.
In a statement, the coalition claimed that forces allied with Kinshasa, including troops from Burundi’s National Defense Force, used heavy weapons near densely populated areas—calling it “irresponsible behavior” amounting to a “crime against humanity.”
The coalition expressed strong dismay over these actions, deeming them a sign of contempt for ongoing negotiations, particularly the Qatar-mediated talks in Doha.
It called for addressing the “root causes of the conflict” instead of resorting to military escalation.
The Congolese government was also accused of stalling confidence-building measures, despite M23’s stated commitment to the agreement’s terms. The statement labeled this conduct as “unacceptable duplicity.”
The peace deal, signed on June 27, includes provisions for ending hostilities, respecting sovereignty, refraining from supporting armed groups, and establishing mechanisms for security coordination as well as humanitarian and economic arrangements to stabilize eastern Congo.
