In a stark juxtaposition of diplomatic ceremony and brutal ground reality, a United States-brokered peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda has been immediately overshadowed by a severe escalation of combat in eastern Congo. The deal, signed under the auspices of former US President Donald Trump in Washington D.C., was undermined within hours as fierce clashes between Congolese forces and the M23 rebel group sent hundreds of terrified civilians fleeing across the border into Rwanda.
The summit, held at the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace, aimed to solidify a tentative accord reached in June and formally end decades of cyclical violence in Congo’s mineral-rich east. Presidents Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, whose governments have long traded accusations of sponsoring violence on each other’s borders, witnessed their foreign ministers sign the pact. Trump expressed optimism, stating, "I have a lot of confidence in both leaders... I know they're going to keep them and follow through on the agreement and create a much brighter future for the people of their countries." However, observers noted a distinct lack of warmth between the African leaders, with no public handshake to cement the occasion—an omen of the fragility of the commitment.
Even as the ink dried, the strategic border town of Kamanyola, situated at the juncture of the DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi, became the epicenter of renewed hostilities. The Congolese military, now openly bolstered by Burundian army units, engaged in intense firefights with M23 fighters. The detonations were reportedly powerful enough to shake structures in the vicinity, underscoring the conflict’s intensity. This direct involvement of Burundian troops marks a significant and perilous regionalization of the conflict. A Burundian military source, speaking anonymously, conveyed grave concern: "The fighting is intensifying... There is a real risk the situation escalates." The source justified the intervention as a defensive measure to halt any potential advance by M23, which Burundi alleges is backed by Rwanda, toward the Burundian capital, Bujumbura.
The immediate consequence has been a humanitarian crisis, with civilians caught in the crossfire. Hundreds abandoned their homes, streaming across the frontier into Rwanda at the Bugarama border post. This displacement highlights the chasm between high-level political declarations and the precarious existence of those living in the conflict zone. Analysts posit that the M23’s timing—advancing and fighting in the days surrounding the summit—may have been a deliberate strategy to strengthen its bargaining position or demonstrate its capacity to derail diplomacy not conducted on its terms.
The rapid resumption of violence casts a long shadow over the viability of externally mediated peace processes. While the Washington agreement represents a continued diplomatic engagement, its practical authority appears negligible on the battlefield. The conflict’s complexity, fueled by historical grievances, ethnic tensions, competition over vast natural resources, and the involvement of multiple national and sub-national actors, persists unabated. The international community now faces the arduous task of translating a ceremonial pact into a credible ceasefire, a process that will require addressing not only the symptoms but the deeply entrenched roots of a war that continues to defy distant handshakes.