More than 200,000 people have been forced to flee renewed fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo over the past week, the United Nations said, as rebels continued advancing just days after US President Donald Trump declared peace had been reached in the long-running conflict.
In a statement released late on Monday, the U.N. said at least 74 people had been killed, mostly civilians, and 83 admitted to hospital with wounds from escalating clashes in the area in recent days. This has prompted thousands to flee to neighbouring Rwanda and Burundi.
“Attacks on civilian infrastructure, including schools, have also been reported in recent days,” the UN said, calling the assaults a violation of international law.
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The violence comes less than a week after the presidents of Rwanda and Congo met with Trump in Washington to sign a peace treaty, from which the M23 was excluded.
In Washington, the U.S. and nine other members of the International Contact Group (ICG) for the Great Lakes voiced “profound concern” over the renewed violence.
It said the new M23 rebel offensive “has a destabilising potential for the whole region,” adding that the growing use of attack and suicide drones marked a major escalation in the fighting and posed a serious threat to civilians.
Blame game
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Over the past two days, both sides in eastern Congo have accused each other of violating peace agreements signed earlier this year, and hostilities have continued unabated. Rwanda has denied backing the M23, which is participating in separate peace talks with Congo under the mediation of Qatar.
The rebel group has controlled the two largest cities in mineral-rich eastern Congo for more than a year, showing no indication of withdrawing.
