Civilian Deaths Surge in Eastern DR Congo Despite Newly Signed Peace Deal.
More than 400 civilians have been killed since the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group escalated its offensive in the South Kivu province in eastern Congo, regional officials said late Wednesday, adding that Rwandan special forces were in the strategic city of Uvira.
Despite a recently signed peace agreement meant to ease tensions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), violence has escalated once again in the country’s troubled eastern region, leaving more than 400 civilians dead in South Kivu, according to local officials. The surge in killings comes just weeks after a US-mediated peace deal was signed in Washington by DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, an accord aimed at halting years of conflict but one that did not include the powerful M23 rebel movement at the center of the crisis.
Regional authorities in South Kivu, particularly around Uvira and Bukavu, confirmed that the fatalities include women, children, and young people caught in crossfire, shelling, and bomb attacks as fighting intensified between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and Congolese forces. Officials say the violence sharply escalated despite the ceasefire commitments outlined in the peace agreement.
The United States Embassy in Kinshasa has urged both the M23 group and Rwandan military forces to stop offensive operations, calling on Rwanda to withdraw its troops from Congolese territory as part of efforts to restore calm. However, Rwanda has accused the Congolese army of violating the ceasefire first by launching renewed offensives in an attempt to retake territory, further deepening tensions between the two neighbors.
The renewed conflict is worsening what is already one of Africa’s most severe humanitarian crises. The DRC has over 7 million internally displaced people, and since early December alone more than 200,000 residents of South Kivu have fled their homes due to intensified clashes. At least 70 additional civilians have been killed during this new wave of violence, while many families have crossed into Burundi, raising fears of regional instability as shells reportedly landed near the border.
Analysts warn that the Washington peace agreement risks failing unless all key actors including the M23 rebels are brought into a credible and enforceable negotiation framework. For now, the situation on the ground suggests that eastern Congo’s civilians continue to pay the highest price in a conflict that shows no signs of abating.
