KIGALI, Rwanda

The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, on Monday accused Rwanda of violating the US-brokered peace agreement, which was signed in Washington, DC, last week and hoped to end the decades-long conflict in eastern Congo.

Despite the formal commitment made in Washington, DC, "Rwanda is already violating its commitments," Tshisekedi said in his speech to parliament.

On Dec. 4, Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame signed a "historic" peace and economic agreement aimed at putting an end to the fighting in eastern Congo. The agreement was signed following a peace agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump in June.

However, in his address to lawmakers, the Congolese president claimed that the day after the agreements were signed, the Rwandan army fired heavy weapons from the Rwandan town of Bugarama into Congo, causing significant human and material damage in the localities of Kaziba, Katogota, and Lubarika in South Kivu.

This is a violation of the ceasefire agreement, he stated.

However, when contacted by Anadolu on Monday, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe reiterated his comments on the accusations, which he made on Sunday, calling similar accusations against the Rwandan army made by the Congolese military "ridiculous" and an attempt to shift blame.

During the signing ceremony, Kagame said that while numerous mediation efforts had been made, none had succeeded in resolving the underlying issues, and that the US-led peace deal contains "everything needed to end this conflict once and for all."

However, the Congolese leader reminded lawmakers in his Monday speech that the agreement calls for the "immediate withdrawal of Rwandan troops from eastern Congo, dismantling of foreign armed groups, including the (Rwandan) FDLR rebels, cessation of hostilities, and the establishment of a joint security mechanism to oversee implementation."

Tshisekedi said his country remains optimistic and believes in the diplomatic path to resolving the conflict, reaffirming Kinshasa's commitment to upholding the signed agreement.

Violence has persisted in eastern Congo for decades, killing thousands and displacing millions, according to Kinshasa and the UN.

Clashes that broke out last week between the AFC-M23 rebel group and government forces continued on Monday in Masisi territory, North Kivu province, according to local and rebel sources.

The most recent stage of the conflict erupted in 2021, when the M23 rebel group resurfaced and launched an offensive against Congolese government forces.

The UN, Kinshasa, and others accuse neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23, which Kigali denies.