Rwanda has urged a swift and complete return to the commitments outlined in the recently signed Washington accords, warning that escalating violence in South Kivu threatens to undermine months of diplomatic progress.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kigali said the renewed clashes, cross-border bombardments and growing humanitarian pressures reveal a troubling disconnect between the agreements made on paper and the actions unfolding on the ground.
Officials argue that the current instability not only endangers civilians in eastern DRC but also poses a tangible threat to Rwanda’s western frontier.
The Ministry’s assessment follows a wave of intensified military activity that erupted just days after the December 4 ceremony in Washington.
Rwanda maintains that responsibility for the violations cannot be placed on Kigali, pointing instead to the actions of the Congolese Army (FARDC), the Burundian Army (FDNB), and allied groups including FDLR genocidal elements, Wazalendo militias and foreign mercenaries.
According to the statement, these forces have carried out repeated bombardments using fighter jets and attack drones against villages near the Rwandan border, operations that AFC/M23 fighters say they have been forced to counter.
Last week’s bombing of Kamanyola from Burundian territory triggered a sudden flight of more than 1,000 Congolese civilians into Rwanda’s Bugarama sector. The new arrivals are now being accommodated at the Nyarushishi Transit Camp.
Kigali described the influx as evidence of a deteriorating environment in eastern DRC and a reminder that civilians remain the first victims of political and military escalation.
Rwanda questions DRC’s commitment to the ceasefire
Rwanda’s statement raises concern that the DRC has publicly dismissed the ceasefire provisions of the Washington accords, insisting that it intends to retake territories currently held by AFC/M23.
Kigali says it conveyed these developments to regional and international partners, noting that much of the information was already publicly accessible and verifiable.
Despite this, Rwanda argues that global actors have not demanded an end to the operations that Kinshasa and its allies had prepared for months.
The Ministry also highlighted the deployment of nearly 20,000 Burundian troops to South Kivu, characterizing their involvement as a major factor in the instability.
Accordingly, these forces have laid siege to Banyamulenge communities in Minembwe, allegedly restricting food supplies in what Kigali describes as a calculated attempt to break civilian resilience.
Rwandan officials say such actions contradict regional humanitarian norms and weaken the trust required to uphold the peace process.
Furthermore, DRC’s ongoing failure to neutralize the FDLR is one of the key obligations in the June 2025 Peace Agreement. Kigali argues that the endurance of the group continues to drive insecurity in eastern Congo and threatens Rwanda’s own security architecture.
“The central cause of instability in the region has not been addressed,” the Ministry said, stressing that the FDLR’s active participation in current fighting further erodes the credibility of Kinshasa’s commitments.
Kigali also suggested that President Félix Tshisekedi’s participation in the Washington ceremony appeared reluctant, noting that the rapid escalation of hostilities after the signing raises doubts about the DRC’s political will.
