Fresh fighting erupted in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump hosted Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Washington to reaffirm a U.S.-brokered peace deal.
The agreement, first reached in June, aims to stabilize the mineral-rich region and unlock Western mining investment.
Despite those pledges, violence surged on the ground. The Rwandan-backed M23/AFC rebel group, which is not part of the peace agreement, accused Congolese forces of widespread attacks that reportedly killed 23 civilians in South Kivu.
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Congo’s army countered that Rwanda’s military was bombing populated areas and driving families from their homes. Videos posted online showed civilians fleeing Luvungi as heavy clashes continued.
UNICEF said recent strikes on schools killed at least seven children, warning that conflict has intensified to levels not seen in years. Analysts say U.S. diplomacy has paused escalations but has not resolved core disputes fueling the war.
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TIPP Staff
