The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) have accused Rwanda and the M23/AFC rebel coalition of escalating cross-border artillery strikes on civilian areas in South Kivu—just 48 hours after Kinshasa and Kigali signed a landmark peace agreement in Washington.
In a strongly worded statement issued late Saturday, FARDC said shells fired from the Rwandan town of Bugarama hit several communities along the Kamanyola–Uvira axis in the Ruzizi plain. The bombardments reportedly killed civilians and destroyed homes, schools, and health centres.
“The situation is grave and the crime is odious,” the military communiqué said, blaming the attacks on “Rwandan barbarism and the criminal appetite of AFC/M23.”
Congo’s army condemned the strikes as war crimes and crimes against humanity, accusing Kigali of attempting to sabotage the peace accord signed Thursday in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump and regional leaders. Rwanda has repeatedly denied backing M23 or carrying out attacks inside Congo, though Kinshasa and U.N. experts have consistently alleged otherwise.
Rebel Advance Toward Uvira
The assaults come as M23/AFC fighters—supported by Rwanda, according to Congolese and U.N. reports—continue rapid territorial gains. The rebels have captured Kamanyola and are advancing toward Uvira, a strategic commercial hub on the border with Burundi. Their push toward the city has heightened fears of a broader regional confrontation, as Burundian forces fighting alongside FARDC now face the insurgents directly.
FARDC officials also confirmed the fall of Luvungi, another key town along the same axis.
“The enemy is already in Luvungi,” an army spokesperson said. “There were many civilians, and we were ordered to prioritise their safety. We had no choice but to withdraw.”
Peace Accord Already Under Strain
The Congolese military said the renewed attacks and rapid rebel advances reveal Rwanda’s “clear determination to undermine any peace process, despite commitments freely undertaken” in Washington.
The peace accord obliges both countries to dismantle armed groups, restore state authority in eastern Congo, and pursue a new framework for regional economic cooperation. Hours after the signing, President Félix Tshisekedi cautioned that lasting peace would hinge on ending the operations of “negative forces” and eliminating foreign meddling.
FARDC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting civilians and resisting what it called Rwanda’s “bellicose and criminal ambitions.”
“They reassure the population of their determination to defeat these aims and ensure civilian protection, whatever the cost,” spokesperson Gen. Sylvain Ekenge Bomusa Efomi said.
The intensifying clashes and recent territorial losses pose an immediate challenge to the Washington Peace Accords, even before their implementation has begun.