A fragile peace deal for the Democratic Republic of Congo began to unravel on Monday after fresh fighting ignited regional tensions.
DRC President Félix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of violating an agreement signed in Washington last week under the auspices of US President Donald Trump.
He said Rwanda-backed M23 fighters launched rapid assaults near Uvira, pushing the conflict back into full view despite hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough.
Local and military sources reported that hundreds of Congolese and allied Burundian soldiers fled into Burundi as the violence escalated.
Tshisekedi told lawmakers that Rwandan forces carried out attacks with heavy weaponry only a day after signing the accord.
Burundi then accused Rwanda of bombing areas near the border town of Cibitoke, injuring two people including a twelve-year-old child.
Fighting intensified in the mineral-rich east earlier this year after M23 forces captured the key cities of Goma and Bukavu.
The Washington agreement was meant to restore stability while securing US access to critical minerals in a region contested by global powers.
Trump hailed the pact as a “miracle”, yet analysts warned that mistrust and long-standing rivalries could swiftly undermine it.
Fresh clashes the day after the signing forced civilians to flee into Rwanda, deepening fears of a broader regional collapse.
UN experts on Sunday accused Rwanda’s army and M23 fighters of carrying out summary executions and mass displacement in eastern DRC.
M23’s push towards Uvira leaves only one major South Kivu town outside the militia’s control, raising alarms across the region.
Clashes on Monday were reported near Luvungi, while bombings struck Sange between Uvira and Luvungi, according to military officials.
Rwanda denies supporting M23 and says it faces existential threats from armed groups linked to the 1994 genocide operating inside DRC.
Burundi, fearing the fall of Uvira across Lake Tanganyika from Bujumbura, deployed thousands of troops to eastern DRC last year.
Burundian military sources say at least twenty Burundian soldiers have been killed since last Monday during operations in South Kivu.
Witnesses and NGOs reported civilians fleeing toward Burundi and Rwanda as the humanitarian crisis worsened once again.
