The United States has accused Rwanda of exacerbating conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), warning that continued advances by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group threaten a fragile peace effort mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Addressing the United Nations Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz said Rwanda’s actions were pushing the region toward greater instability.
Amb. Waltz also pledged that the U.S. would use “the tools at our disposal to hold to account spoilers to peace.”
M23’s recent territorial gains have alarmed the Great Lakes region, bringing fighting close to Burundi’s border and raising fears of wider regional escalation.
Since January, the violence has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
Burundi’s UN Ambassador Zephyrin Maniratanga warned that continued attacks could trigger a direct confrontation between Bujumbura and Kigali, noting that Burundi’s patience was running thin amid rising cross-border tensions.
Rwanda denied the allegations. UN Ambassador Martin Ngoga insisted that Kigali remained committed to the Washington-brokered peace agreement, accused the Congolese government of violating the ceasefire, and rejected claims of Rwandan involvement in the fighting.
Congo’s Foreign Minister, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, urged decisive international action, warning that continued inaction would embolden impunity.
She emphasized that the crisis had reached a critical juncture requiring enforcement of global norms.
The renewed fighting comes just days after a Washington meeting between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the US-mediated peace deal.
Waltz called on Rwanda to respect Congo’s sovereignty and its right to seek military assistance from Burundi, while urging restraint in rhetoric that could inflame ethnic tensions.
He accused Rwanda of maintaining strategic control over M23 and its political wing, the Congo River Alliance, since the group’s resurgence in 2021, alleging that Rwandan forces provided logistical, military, and training support, including direct combat involvement.
Rwanda has consistently denied backing M23, instead blaming Congolese and Burundian forces for the violence.
While M23 is not part of the Washington-led peace talks, it is engaged in separate negotiations with the Congolese government hosted by Qatar, highlighting the fragmented nature of efforts to end the conflict.
