Over 400 civilians killed in fighting in eastern Congo, despite US-mediated peace deal

GOMA Congo AP More than civilians have been killed as the Rwanda-backed M armed group continues its offensive in Kivu province in eastern Congo regional personnel declared late Wednesday adding that Rwandan special forces were in the strategic city of Uvira M s latest offensive comes despite a U S -mediated peace agreement signed last week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington The accord didn t include the rebel group which is negotiating separately with Congo and agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that both sides accuse the other of violating However it obliges Rwanda to halt encouragement for armed groups and work to end hostilities More than civilians have been killed by bullets grenades and bombs including plenty of women children and young people in localities between Uvira and Bukavu the regional capital the South Kivu governing body spokesperson explained in a message late Wednesday According to the information gathered the forces present in the city are composed of Rwandan special forces and various of their foreign mercenaries operating in clear violation of the ceasefire as well as the Washington and Doha agreements in total disregard of the commitments made the declaration added M commented it had taken control of the strategic city of Uvira in eastern Congo on Wednesday afternoon following a rapid offensive since the start of the month The announcement by M spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka posted on the social platform X encouraged citizens who fled to return to their homes Uvira is an vital port city on the northern tip of Lake Tanganyika and is directly across from neighboring Burundi s largest city Bujumbura Congo the U S and U N experts accuse Rwanda of backing M which had hundreds of members in Now according to the U N the group has around fighters While Rwanda denies that claim it acknowledged last year that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo allegedly to safeguard its safeguard U N experts estimate there are up to Rwandan forces in Congo Burundian Foreign Minister Edouard Bizimana in an interview with French state media RFI on Wednesday urged the U S to pressure Rwandan President Paul Kagame to ensure the implementation of the agreement signed in the U S saying M without Kagame without Rwanda is nothing Bizimana explained the capture of Uvira poses a threat to the economic capital Bujumbura We have registered more than refugees and asylum seekers in the last three days Uvira and Bujumbura are coastal cities What threatens Uvira also threatens Bujumbura In a comment Wednesday the U S Embassy in Kinshasa urged M and Rwandan troops to cease all offensive operations and for the Rwandan Defense Forces to withdraw to Rwanda On Wednesday morning the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs blamed the Congolese armed forces for the contemporary ceasefire violations in a comment on X The DRC has openly stated that it would not observe any ceasefire and was fighting to recapture territories lost to AFC M even as the peace process unfolded it reported More than armed groups are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the territory line with Rwanda majority of prominently M The conflict has created one of the world s bulk major humanitarian crises with more than million people displaced bureaucrats say Local U N partners record that more than people have been displaced across the province since Dec with more than killed Civilians also have crossed into Burundi and there have been reports of shells falling in the town of Rugombo on the Burundian side of the limit raising concerns about the conflict spilling over into Burundian territory Pronczuk shared from Dakar Senegal Associated Press writer Renovat Ndabashinze in Bujumbura Burundi contributed to this assessment Source