The United States has accused Rwanda of backing the M23 militia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, saying Rwandan forces provided materiel, logistics and fought alongside M23 — an involvement estimated at 5,000–7,000 troops. The offensive has seen M23 capture key cities including Goma, Bukavu and Uvira, raising fears of fragmentation of eastern DRC and a wider regional conflict. Burundi accused Rwanda of strikes on its territory (which Kigali denies), while Kinshasa has called for UN sanctions amid reports of killings and mass displacement.
US Envoy Warns Rwanda's Backing of M23 Risks Regional War After Uvira Seizure
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz has voiced deep concern to the Security Council about the resurgence of violence in eastern DR Congo (ANGELA WEISS)(ANGELA WEISS/AFP/AFP)
The United States on Friday accused Rwanda of stoking the risk of a broader regional war by supporting the M23 armed group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a charge made days after a US-brokered peace agreement was signed in Washington.
Developments on the Ground
Last week, the presidents of the DRC and Rwanda signed a high-profile pact in Washington that raised hopes of easing decades of conflict in eastern Congo. Instead, M23 fighters this week seized the strategic Congolese city of Uvira, giving the militia control of the land border with Burundi and cutting Kinshasa off from potential military support from that neighbour.
"Instead of progress toward peace... Rwanda is leading the region toward more instability and toward war," US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told the Security Council.
Waltz said the United States was "deeply concerned and increasingly disappointed" by the resurgence of violence and criticized what he described as the "scale and sophistication" of Rwanda's involvement. According to the US envoy, "the Rwandan defense forces have provided materiel, logistics and training support to M23 as well as fighting alongside M23 in DRC with roughly 5,000 to 7,000 troops," a figure he noted may not account for reinforcements during the latest offensive. He added that reported Rwandan support included surface-to-air missiles, drones and artillery.
Regional Warnings and Accusations
UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix warned that the renewed offensive "has revived the specter of a regional conflagration with incalculable consequences," and said recent developments risked "the progressive fragmentation of the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly its eastern part."
Burundi accused Rwanda of carrying out strikes on its territory; Burundi's UN ambassador, Zephyrin Maniratanga, told the council his country "reserves the right to use self-defence" and warned that continued attacks could make escalation between neighbouring states difficult to avoid. Rwanda denied the accusations. "Rwanda is not waging war against the Republic of Burundi and has no intention of doing that," Ambassador Martin Ngoga said.
Kinshasa's Plea and Humanitarian Toll
DR Congo's Foreign Minister, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, criticized the Security Council's "lack of action" and urged sanctions against Rwanda. She said that despite a February resolution demanding Rwandan troop withdrawal and a ceasefire, "another city has fallen, a parallel administration has consolidated itself, thousands more families have fled, and others have been killed, raped, and terrorized."
Since its resurgence in 2021, M23 has seized large swathes of territory, displacing tens of thousands and deepening a spiraling humanitarian crisis. Earlier this month, UN experts reported that Rwanda's army and M23 allegedly carried out summary executions and forced mass displacements of civilians in the region.
Outlook
The situation remains volatile. International actors have called for urgent diplomacy and accountability measures to prevent wider regional escalation and to address mounting human suffering in eastern DRC.
