The ink of the so-called miracle agreement has not yet dried, and fighting has already resumed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
One day after the signing in Washington of a peace agreement whose ink had barely dried, fighting reignited in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, forcing hundreds of people to flee across the border into Rwanda.
The agreement, signed on Thursday and described as a “miracle” by the US president, aims to bring stability to the resource-rich eastern DRC. Yet it appears to have had no effect so far in a region that has been plagued by conflict for thirty years.
On Friday, fighters from the M23 armed movement, which opposes the government, clashed with the Congolese army in South Kivu province, supported by thousands of Burundian soldiers deployed to assist it.
Both sides are seeking control of the town of Kamanyola, located at the border between the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi. The M23 currently holds the town.
Explosions and gunfire
A journalist from AFP in Bugarama, a Rwandan border town located about two kilometers from Kamanyola, reported hearing explosions shaking buildings throughout the morning.
On Friday, the M23 accused the Burundian army of firing “without interruption” into Congolese territory.
A Burundian military source told AFP that Burundian forces were fortifying their positions to prevent them from falling into the hands of M23 fighters and their Rwandan supporters.
The same source, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that “the fighting is becoming more intense,” warning of “a real risk of escalation.” The source also mentioned the “arrival of reinforcements at the front line.”
According to the source, Burundi cannot accept “the terrorists of M23 and their Rwandan supporters reaching Uvira,” a Congolese city located less than 30 kilometers from the Burundian capital Bujumbura.
Civilians fleeing
Civilians crossed the border into Rwanda to escape the fighting, under the watch of Rwandan police forces.
Imikole Antoinette, a resident of Ruhumba near Kamanyola, said: “Bombs were falling on the houses,” adding: “We had been told to stay indoors, but it was impossible.”
Hassan Shibani, an administrative official in Kamanyola, said that the shelling had hit schools, hospitals and homes.
The conflict erupted late last January when M23 seized control of the cities of Goma in North Kivu and Bukavu in South Kivu.
On Thursday, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi signed a peace agreement in Washington, which US President Donald Trump described as a “miracle”.
