U.S. charges Rwanda with truce breach as M23 claims eastern Congo town
The United States accused Rwanda of breaching a recent U.S.-mediated peace agreement through support for the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz stated Rwanda’s actions risk regional instability and warned of potential consequences against parties undermining the accord.
Since the M23 offensive began this month, over 400 civilians have been killed and approximately 200,000 displaced in South Kivu province. The rebels seized the strategic city of Uvira, located on Lake Tanganyika’s northern shore and adjacent to Burundi, marking their latest advance.
Congo’s foreign minister, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, urged the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions on Rwandan military and political leaders, halt Rwandan mineral exports, and suspend its participation in U.N. peacekeeping missions. She emphasized the peace process remains jeopardized by continued violence.
Rwanda denies backing M23 but acknowledges deploying troops in eastern Congo for security purposes. Regional tensions rose as shells landed inBurundian territory and refugees crossed borders, signaling potential wider conflict. The M23, not party to the agreement, continues operations despite a separate ceasefire it previously accepted.