US has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 group as the conflict in Eastern DR Congo intensifies

The United States cautions that as M23 advances jeopardize regional peace, Rwanda is fueling a new conflict in eastern DR Congo.

The United States has warned that further advances by the M23 rebel group, which Rwanda supports, might jeopardize a tenuous peace attempt mediated by US President Donald Trump and accused Rwanda of stoking new instability and conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

US Ambassador Mike Waltz said in a speech to the UN Security Council on Friday that Rwanda’s actions were driving the region closer to war and that Washington would take action against those who were preventing peace. The United States would use “the tools at our disposal to hold to account spoilers to peace,” he emphasized.

Concerns about a wider regional escalation have been heightened by M23’s recent territorial gains, which have brought the battle near Burundi’s border. An already poor humanitarian situation has been made worse by the violence in eastern Congo since January, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of displacements.

Zephyrin Maniratanga, Burundi’s UN ambassador, warned the Security Council that further attacks would lead to a direct conflict between Bujumbura and Kigali. He claimed that as cross-border tensions increased, Burundi’s restraint was approaching its breaking point.

Martin Ngoga, Rwanda’s UN ambassador, denied any action against Burundi and reaffirmed Kigali’s commitment to the peace deal mediated by Washington. Ngoga denied Rwandan involvement in the violence and accused the Congolese government of breaching the ceasefire.

Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, the foreign minister of the Congo, called on the Security Council to act decisively, cautioning that inactivity would encourage impunity. According to her, the issue has escalated to a stage where the world community is forced to decide whether to enforce international rules or permit their flagrant disregard.

Days after meeting with Trump in Washington, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame reaffirmed their commitment to a peace agreement mediated by the United States that would put an end to years of war in eastern Congo.

Waltz called on Rwanda to respect Congo’s sovereignty and its right to ask Burundi for military support, saying Washington was working with all sides to stop the situation from getting worse. Additionally, he advised against using words that could exacerbate ethnic tensions.

The United States accused Rwanda of retaining strategic influence over M23 and its political wing, the Congo River Alliance, following the group’s revival in 2021, saying it was “profoundly concerned and incredibly disappointed” by the fresh violence. Waltz said that M23 had received military, logistical, and training assistance from Rwandan forces, including thousands of troops directly participating in combat.

Rwanda has continuously denied supporting the rebels, attributing the battle to Burundian and Congolese soldiers. The fragmented nature of efforts to resolve the violence is highlighted by the fact that M23 is participating in separate negotiations with the Congolese government hosted by Qatar, despite not being a member of the Washington-led peace talks.