By Spy Uganda
Fighting intensified in South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as M23 rebels, described by local sources as being backed by the Rwandan army, continued their advance. On Saturday the rebels captured the strategic town of Luvungi near the Burundian border along with several nearby villages. Thousands of residents fled as clashes approached their communities and humanitarian conditions deteriorated.
A spokesperson for the Congolese Armed Forces told Africanews that government troops pulled out of Luvungi in an effort to limit civilian casualties and prevent large scale damage. In a separate statement, the army reported that shells fired from inside Rwanda struck communities in the Ruzizi plain, killing civilians and destroying schools, health centres and homes. Independent sources say M23 forces are now pushing toward the larger town of Uvira.
The surge in violence follows high level talks in Washington where the presidents of the DRC and Rwanda met with United States President Donald Trump. The leaders restated their support for a peace plan first agreed in June. The White House described the pact as a historic agreement brokered by Washington after extensive mediation by the United States, the African Union and Qatar. A separate agreement was signed between the DRC government and the M23 movement. Washington has emphasised its interest in stability in the region, which holds significant deposits of minerals vital to global supply chains.
Though the meeting in Washington resulted in formal recommitments to peace efforts, the atmosphere remained tense. President Felix Tshisekedi and President Paul Kagame did not shake hands and avoided eye contact during the signing ceremony, which lasted just under an hour.
According to United Nations experts, between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan government troops are operating in eastern Congo alongside M23 combatants. Rwandan officials deny supporting the group and say any military action by their forces is undertaken to protect national security.
