Fighting erupted on Tuesday between Rwandan-backed M23 rebels and government-aligned militias in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as neighboring countries push to revive a stalled peace process.
Since January, the M23’s rapid advance has led to the capture of DRC’s two largest cities in the east, causing thousands of deaths and displacing hundreds of thousands more.
Countries from Southern and Eastern Africa have repeatedly intervened diplomatically, hoping to prevent the conflict from expanding into a wider regional war.
A major setback occurred on Monday when the M23 reneged on its commitment to withdraw from the strategically important town of Walikale, accusing the Congolese army of continuing offensive operations in the area.
On Tuesday, clashes took place between M23 fighters and pro-government militias, known as Wazalendo, in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, according to local residents.
In North Kivu, fighting continued for a second day near Lake Edward, which lies along the border between Congo and Uganda, said local civil society activist Muhindo Tafuteni. In South Kivu, combat spread to several towns north of Bukavu, the provincial capital that M23 seized in February.
Regional Diplomatic Efforts
Regional leaders from Southern and Eastern Africa gathered on Monday to accelerate peace efforts. They announced the appointment of five former heads of state to guide the peace process.
The newly appointed mediators are Olusegun Obasanjo from Nigeria, Kgalema Motlanthe from South Africa, Sahle-Work Zewde from Ethiopia, Uhuru Kenyatta from Kenya, and Catherine Samba Panza from the Central African Republic.
The Congolese government said the new panel would choose a mediator to replace Angolan President Joao Lourenco, who stepped down on Monday after years of attempts to ease tensions between Congo and Rwanda.
Rwanda, which faces Western sanctions for allegedly supporting M23 with arms and troops, described the summit as “fruitful” but maintains it is acting in self-defense against Congo’s army and militias hostile to Rwanda.
M23 asserts that a resolution to the conflict can only be reached through negotiations between the rebels and the Congolese government in Kinshasa.
Despite a planned meeting last week in Angola, where President Tshisekedi of Congo dropped his refusal to negotiate with M23, the rebels withdrew after new European Union sanctions were imposed.
Tensions in the Region
While diplomatic talks continue, the threat of wider conflict remains. In an interview with the BBC, Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye, whose troops have supported Congo’s army against M23, accused Rwanda of planning an attack on Burundi.
“Burundians will not accept to be killed as Congolese are being killed,” he said, emphasizing his desire to resolve the issue through dialogue.
Burundi and Rwanda have a long history of tense relations, although officials from both countries have met recently to discuss border security.
Rwanda’s government spokesperson, Yolande Makolo, responded, saying, “These comments are surprising because Rwandan and Burundian defense and security institutions have actually been meeting to discuss how to secure our common borders.”