Fighting erupts in eastern Congo despite new US-brokered agreements PHOTO

Fighting continued in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on December 5, a day after US President Donald Trump hosted Congolese and Rwandan leaders in Washington to sign new deals aimed at ending years of conflict in the mineral-rich region.

During the December 4 meeting, Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame reaffirmed their commitments to a US-brokered June agreement intended to stabilise the country and attract more Western mining investment, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Trump described the effort as “settling a war that’s been going on for decades,” highlighting his administration’s global peacemaking efforts and business interests.

On the ground, however, clashes persisted. The Rwandan-backed AFC/M23 rebel group, which earlier this year captured the two largest cities in eastern Congo and is not bound by the Washington agreement, accused government forces of launching widespread attacks.

A Congolese army spokesperson confirmed ongoing fighting along the Kaziba, Katogota, and Rurambo axis in South Kivu province, adding that population displacement occurred in Luvungi due to indiscriminate bombardment by Rwandan forces.

Rwanda’s army and government officials were not immediately available for comment.

Meanwhile, A senior AFC/M23 official told Reuters that rebel forces had recaptured the town of Luberika and downed a Congolese army drone. He spoke on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to comment publicly.

"The war continues on the ground and has no connection with the signing of the agreement that took place yesterday [December 4] in Washington," he said.

Since 2012, the armed group March 23 Movement (M23) has challenged the Congo government, accusing it of failing to honour a 2009 peace accord that promised integration and protection for Congolese Tutsis.

M23 relaunched its insurgency in 2022. Benefiting from alleged support by Rwanda, including troops, weapons and logistical backing, the group rapidly seized key territories in North and South Kivu, including major cities and mineral-rich areas.

Control over mineral resources (notably coltan and other strategic ores) has been a major driver of the conflict; M23 has reportedly raised substantial income through taxation and illicit mining in captured areas.

Repeated ceasefire attempts and peace agreements have failed to resolve underlying grievances — weak state presence, ethnic tensions, and competition over land and resources, making eastern Congo one of the world’s most protracted conflict zones.

By Jeyhun Aghazada