The United States has launched a sharp diplomatic condemnation against Rwanda, accusing the nation of destabilizing Africa’s Great Lakes region through its support of M23 rebel forces. This condemnation comes barely a week after President Donald Trump presided over what was hailed as a “historic” peace agreement between Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Washington.
The fragile peace process faces collapse following M23’s capture of Uvira, a strategically vital city in South Kivu province that served as DR Congo’s final major military stronghold in the region. UN experts and Western governments maintain Rwanda exercises de facto control over M23 operations, though Rwanda consistently denies these allegations.
Strategic analysts reveal Uvira’s capture serves multiple purposes: cutting Burundi’s supply routes into eastern DR Congo, forcing Burundian troop withdrawals, and creating leverage for future negotiations. The city’s fall has triggered a humanitarian crisis with approximately 50,000 refugees fleeing into Burundi, which has subsequently closed its border.
Canada-based political scientist Professor Jason Stearns characterized the offensive as deliberately humiliating to US diplomatic efforts, noting that Rwandan troops were amassing for the invasion even as their president signed the Washington accord. The timing suggests neither M23 nor Rwanda believed in the agreement’s viability from the outset.
The conflict’s complexity stems from historical ethnic tensions and mutual accusations between neighboring nations. Rwanda seeks protection from FDLR militia remnants linked to the 1994 genocide, while DR Congo accuses Rwanda of territorial ambitions through proxy forces. Burundi fears M23’s success will empower Red Tabara rebels threatening its government.
With the Washington peace process collapsing and parallel Qatar-mediated negotiations suspended, the US and European powers face limited options. Their joint statement demands immediate cessation of offensive operations and Rwandan troop withdrawals, but enforcement mechanisms remain unclear. The situation now depends on how much political capital international mediators are willing to invest in resolving one of Africa’s most intractable conflicts.