New clashes recorded between the DRC Army and the M23 rebel group in North Kivu

Rwanda stresses that at the summit mediated by Angola “no ceasefire agreement was signed”

July 8. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23) have staged new clashes in recent hours in the province of North Kivu (east), after the agreement on Wednesday between Kinshasa and Kigali to lower tensions at the border.

According to information collected by the Congolese radio station Radio Okapi, the fighting has taken place in the village of Kanyabusoro, about 18 kilometers from the Rumangabo military base, with no reports of casualties at the moment.

Likewise, the M23 has attacked military positions in Rwanguba to try to advance towards Rutshuru, some clashes have caused a new displacement of the civilian population towards the cities of Biruma, Kalengera and Rumangabo.

The rebel group refused on Thursday to abandon the positions it has taken over the weeks in eastern DRC despite the agreement between Kinshasa and Kigali, brokered by Angolan President Joao Lourenço.

“I announce with satisfaction that we have made progress, to the extent that we have agreed on a ceasefire,” said Lourenço, before adding that the parties also agreed to withdraw the M23 from the areas occupied by the rebels.

For his part, the Rwandan Foreign Minister, Vincent Burita, stressed that the agreement resulted in a ‘roadmap’ with “clear objectives and activities to be applied by the different parties and partners.”

“No ceasefire agreement was signed. Misinformation and populism are undermining the overall goal of achieving peace in the DRC and the region,” he said in a message posted on his Twitter account.

The president of the DRC, Félix Tshisekedi, warned on Wednesday of the danger of a war with Rwanda if Kigali maintains “its provocations” and reiterated his accusations against Rwanda for its alleged support for the M23, while the Rwandan authorities have accused Kinshasa of backing the the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) –an armed rebel group founded and made up mainly of Hutus responsible for the 1994 genocide in the African country–.

Relations between the DRC and Rwanda have gone through moments of crisis since the massive arrival in eastern DRC of Rwandan Hutus accused of having massacred the Tutsis during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. After a certain stage of diplomatic relaxation, the conflict gained intensity again in May, when the Congolese government summoned the Rwandan ambassador to denounce the country’s alleged support for the M23.

The M23 has been accused since November 2021 of carrying out attacks against Army positions in North Kivu, despite the fact that the Congolese authorities and the M23 signed a peace agreement in December 2013 after the combats registered since 2012 with the Army, which was supported by United Nations troops. UN experts accused Uganda and Rwanda of supporting the rebels, although both countries denied this.