Kigali: Fresh fighting erupted in eastern DR Congo on Friday, forcing hundreds to flee across the border into Rwanda, just a day after a peace deal was signed in Washington. Thursday’s agreement aimed to stabilize the resource-rich east but has shown little effect on the ground in an area plagued by conflict for the past 30 years.
According to Nam News Network, fighters from the anti-government armed group M23 clashed with the Congolese army on Friday in South Kivu province. The Congolese forces were backed by thousands of Burundian soldiers deployed alongside them. Both sides are vying for control of Kamanyola, a border town where the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi converge. Currently, M23 holds control of Kamanyola.
Detonations shook buildings and echoed throughout the morning near Kamanyola and Bugarama, a border post situated two kilometers away on the Rwandan side. On Friday, M23 accused the Burundian army of continuous firing into the DRC. A Burundian military source stated they were reinforcing their positions to prevent being overrun by M23 fighters and their Rwandan allies.
The source, speaking anonymously, warned that the fighting is intensifying and there is a significant risk of escalation. “We are bringing reinforcements to the front because this is a red line for Burundi,” he said. The source further emphasized that Burundi could not accept M23 and their Rwandan backers reaching Uvira, a city in the DRC, less than 30 kilometers from the Burundian capital Bujumbura.
Amid the conflict, lines of civilians fled the fighting, crossing into Rwanda in the early hours under the watch of Rwandan police. Witness Immaculee Antoinette from Ruhumba, near Kamanyola, described the chaos, stating, “The bombs were exploding above the houses. We were asked to remain locked inside our houses, but that seemed impossible.”
Hassan Shabani, an administrative official in Kamanyola, reported that schools, hospitals, and civilian homes were all shelled. On the Rwandan side, residents, including local Farizi Bizimana, observed the hills from where the shots were coming, noting that “the children and women are very scared and take refuge in houses when the gunfire becomes intense.”
Earlier in January, M23, supported by Kigali and its army, launched an offensive, capturing major regional cities such as Goma in North Kivu province and Bukavu in South Kivu.