Fresh fighting erupted in eastern DR Congo on Friday, forcing hundreds of civilians to flee across the border into Rwanda.
Thursday’s Washington-brokered peace deal aimed to stabilise the resource-rich east, but the agreement has yet to ease the long-standing violence.
M23 rebels clashed with the Congolese army in South Kivu province, backed by thousands of Burundian soldiers deployed alongside government forces.
The two sides are vying for control of Kamanyola, a strategic town where the DR Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi converge, currently held by M23.
AFP journalists reported detonations shaking buildings near Kamanyola, with explosions echoing across the Rwandan border town of Bugarama, just two kilometres away.
M23 accused Burundian forces of firing “without interruption” into the DR Congo, while Burundi said it was reinforcing positions to avoid being overrun.
“The fighting is intensifying,” a Burundian military source said, warning of a real risk that the situation could escalate dangerously.
Civilians fleeing the fighting described bomb blasts over homes, with schools, hospitals, and residential buildings reportedly shelled by both sides.
On the Rwandan side, residents scoured nearby hills for the source of gunfire, while children and women sought shelter indoors from the chaos.
M23, backed by Kigali, launched an offensive in January, seizing key regional cities including Goma in North Kivu and Bukavu in South Kivu.
Thursday’s agreement in Washington saw Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame sign a pact hailed by US President Donald Trump as a “miracle.”
Despite diplomatic efforts, eastern DR Congo’s long-running conflict continues to claim lives and displace civilians, with no immediate end to hostilities in sight.