Rebels Push Into Strategic Eastern Congolese City

Rebels Push Into Strategic Eastern Congolese City, Threatening US-Brokered Peace Deal Democratic Republic of the Congo / Rwanda Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advanced into the strategic eastern Congolese city of Uvira on Wednesday, threatening to upend a recent US-brokered peace agreement and marking a major escalation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) long-running conflict, Al Jazeera reported. The militia pushed into the city this week as part of a new offensive, with the United Nations saying around 200,000 people were displaced and scores of civilians have been killed in recent days, reported Reuters. The rebel coalition that includes M23 claimed the city had been “liberated,” while Burundian officials countered that Uvira “has not yet fallen.” Uvira, located in the South Kivu province near the border with Burundi, has served as the headquarters of the Congo-appointed government and its regional military base after the provincial capital, Bukavu, fell to M23 earlier this year. Observers warned that its capture would open the way for M23 to expand its control beyond South Kivu. The surge in fighting comes less than a week after Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame signed a peace deal in Washington, DC that would require Rwanda to halt support for armed groups. But both countries have accused each other of violating the agreement, with Kinshasa urging Washington to expand sanctions targeting Rwandan officials to “restore the credibility” of the mediation effort. Rwanda has denied backing M23 and blamed Congolese forces for attacks that preceded the new clashes. It has also accused Burundi of escalating hostilities, claiming it has deployed up to 20,000 troops in South Kivu “in the service of the government of DRC.” The Burundian government has not responded to the allegations. Meanwhile, the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes – an informal monitoring group that includes the US and the European Union – said the renewed M23 offensive “has a destabilizing potential for the whole region.” Amid the ongoing fighting, the DRC government has been negotiating separately with the armed groups in Qatar. Last month, the two sides signed a framework agreement aimed at ending violence in the resource-rich east. Despite the escalation, M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa reiterated support for Qatari-led negotiations, saying there was “no other solution” than returning to the table.