KIGALI, Rwanda

Rwanda accused the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundian armies on Wednesday of violating a ceasefire provided under a Washington peace deal in the latest volley since the signing of the agreement, hoped to end violence in eastern Congo.

Rwanda’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Rwanda cannot be held responsible for ceasefire violations, ongoing attacks, and fighting in the South Kivu province.

Rwanda accused the Congolese Army and the Burundian Army, together with its coalition, including militias and foreign mercenaries, of “systematically bombing civilian villages close to the Rwandan border, using fighter jets and attack drones, and which the (rebel coalition) AFC/M23 has said it has been forced to counter,” the statement said.

The statement followed Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi’s speech to parliament on Monday, accusing Rwanda of violating the US-brokered peace agreement.

The Burundian Army has allegedly amassed close to 20,000 troops in South Kivu to support the Congolese government, and notably laid siege to Banyamulenge villages in Minembwe in a deliberate attempt to starve the residents, according to Rwanda’s Foreign Ministry.

On Dec. 4, Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame signed a 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.

But Rwanda claimed that Congo “has openly stated that it would not observe any ceasefire, and was fighting to recapture territories lost to AFC/M23 rebels, even as the peace process unfolded.”

At least 74 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and 83 wounded as a result of recent clashes in eastern Congo, the UN humanitarian coordinator said Monday.

M23 rebels have recently advanced across several areas of the South Kivu province despite the Congo-Rwanda agreement signed in Washington.

On Wednesday, reports said the rebels had occupied parts of the strategic town of Uvira, a key commercial hub close to the border with Burundi.

Return to ‘diplomatic path’ urged

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

Rwanda also underlined that the most viable path forward for peace, stability and prosperity in the Great Lakes region is a “return to full implementation of the Washington Accords” as an urgent priority, and the conclusion of the remaining annexes of the Doha Agreement between Congo and AFC/M23.

Burundi on Monday accused neighboring Rwanda of carrying out attacks on its territory.

The most recent stage of the conflict in eastern Congo 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 M23, which Kigali denies.