Trump’s Efforts Fall Short: M23 Renew Conflict With DRC Government

In the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo, large-scale clashes have erupted between government forces and the M23 rebel group, despite a peace agreement brokered by Donald Trump.

The Defense Post reported on this.

The fighting began in the area around the city of Mullamba (South Kivu province) and has continued with the use of heavy weapons by both government troops and the rebels, who are supported by Rwanda.

The parties accuse each other of violating the agreements: the Congolese government reports ‘almost daily’ attacks by M23, while the rebels claim that additional units of the DRC armed forces have been deployed to the region.

The Congolese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that they were ready to respond to any provocations from M23. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the rebels, Lawrence Kanyuka, described the actions of the government forces as “offensive maneuvers aimed at a large-scale war.”

As a reminder, in July, the parties signed a ceasefire declaration between the Congolese government and M23, mediated by Qatar, and in June – an agreement between Congo and Rwanda.

During a ceremony in Washington attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the foreign ministers of the two African countries signed a document committing to implement the 2024 agreement on the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from eastern DRC within 90 days.

Later, Donald Trump met with both ministers in the Oval Office and handed them letters inviting Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to Washington to sign a package of agreements, which Trump’s senior Africa advisor Massad Boulos called the ‘Washington Agreement.’