Heavy fighting has erupted again in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, just one day after a U.S.-mediated peace agreement was signed in Washington.
Presidents Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC and Paul Kagame of Rwanda signed the accord in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump, aiming to end decades of conflict in the mineral-rich region and open the door to Western investment.
But the diplomatic ceasefire did not hold on the ground.
Clashes flared as the Rwanda-backed M23 movement claimed that government forces had launched attacks on populated villages in North and South Kivu using aircraft and artillery, causing civilian casualties and damaging homes and infrastructure.
The group also accused Burundi, an ally of Kinshasa, of participating in the strikes.
For its part, the Congolese army denied targeting civilians and accused Rwandan forces of carrying out strikes, while blaming M23 for violating the ceasefire.
It confirmed fighting along the Kaziba–Katogota–Ruramabo axis in South Kivu, reporting civilian displacement due to what it described as indiscriminate shelling by Rwandan forces.
Video footage showed families fleeing the Luvungi area carrying their belongings.
Analysts noted that U.S. mediation temporarily slowed military escalation but did not resolve the conflict’s deep-rooted causes, as key actors have not fully adhered to previous commitment
