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Fresh clashes erupted in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, prompting hundreds to cross into Rwanda just a day after a peace agreement was signed in Washington.
The agreement reached on Thursday aimed to bring stability to the resource-rich eastern region, yet it has shown little immediate impact on the ongoing situation, which has been marked by conflict for the past 30 years.
M23 fighters, an anti-government militia, engaged in combat on Friday in South Kivu province, confronting the Congolese army that is supported by thousands of Burundian troops.
Both factions are vying for dominance over the border town of Kamanyola, where the territories of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi converge. Currently, the M23 controls the area.
According to the AFP, explosions reverberated throughout the morning near Kamanyola, approximately two kilometres (1.3 miles) from a border checkpoint in Rwanda.
Lines of civilians fleeing the violence crossed the border early in the morning under the watch of Rwandan police.
Hassan Shabani, an administrative officer in Kamanyola, stated that “schools, hospitals, and civilian homes” were all targeted by shelling.
In January, M23, supported by Kigali and its forces, launched an offensive, seizing the key regional cities of Goma in North Kivu and Bukavu in South Kivu.
During the signing ceremony in Washington on Thursday, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame reached an agreement that US President Donald Trump described as a “miracle.”
