DR Congo Accuses Rwanda of Civilian Killings Amid M23 Rebel Offensive

The Democratic Republic of Congo has accused Rwanda of killing over 1,500 civilians amid a renewed M23 rebel offensive in eastern DRC. The M23 captured the strategic city of Uvira shortly after a US-brokered peace deal, displacing tens of thousands across the border into Burundi and hundreds of thousands internally. The DRC alleges Rwanda backs M23, while Kigali denies involvement, as fighting threatens key mineral-rich regions and worsens an ongoing humanitarian crisis.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has accused Rwanda of killing more than 1,500 civilians in the eastern part of the country since early December, amid a renewed offensive by the M23 rebel group. This escalation came just days after the DRC and Rwanda signed a US-brokered peace agreement on December 4, which was hailed by then-US President Donald Trump as a “miracle” deal. Despite the agreement, the M23 launched an offensive on December 2, quickly capturing the key city of Uvira on December 10. The city’s fall prompted tens of thousands of residents to flee across the border into neighboring Burundi, while many more were displaced within the province of South Kivu.
The DRC government has accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels, alleging that Rwandan forces have carried out operations using bombs and kamikaze drones since the beginning of December. According to a statement released by Kinshasa, the operations have included the deployment of three additional Rwandan battalions into South Kivu, moving toward the strategic “Kalemie axis” in the southeastern province of Tanganyika, a region rich in minerals and previously part of the historic Katanga province. Officials warned that if M23 were to advance into Tanganyika, the group could establish a strong foothold in the DRC’s key mining heartland, which would further destabilize the region.
Since resuming hostilities in 2021, the M23 has seized large swaths of mineral-rich eastern Congo, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians and exacerbating an already severe humanitarian crisis. The group’s renewed campaign in December followed a six-month lull in fighting. Following its capture of Uvira, M23 briefly announced on December 17 that it would withdraw from the city in response to international pressure, including from the United States. However, both Washington and the DRC expressed skepticism over the sincerity of this announcement, and local sources reported that M23 members, along with some local police officers, remained in the city.
In response to the offensive, the DRC army launched counter-operations and reported retaking several settlements around Uvira following violent clashes. The fall of Uvira marked nearly a year since the M23 captured major eastern cities including Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province. The United Nations has reported that the latest M23 advance has forced over 80,000 people to flee into Burundi, while at least half a million people have been internally displaced within South Kivu alone, intensifying the region’s humanitarian challenges.
The situation underscores the fragility of peace efforts in the region and the ongoing tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, with the potential for further escalation if M23 continues its territorial gains in the mineral-rich areas of eastern Congo.