The Democratic Republic of Congo says nearly 500,000 people have been displaced in recent weeks by a new wave of violence in South Kivu province, blaming rebel advances and alleged Rwandan involvement.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Congolese government — citing figures from civil society, humanitarian agencies and state services — condemned the latest attacks as “a clear act of aggression against national sovereignty” and “a serious and repeated violation of international law.”
Rebels from the M23 movement captured the strategic eastern city of Uvira in South Kivu early last month, forcing tens of thousands to flee into neighbouring Burundi.
Kinshasa says the latest offensive began just days after DRC and Rwanda signed a US-brokered peace deal on 4 December, accusing Kigali of bad faith and alleging that “three new Rwandan battalions” have been deployed into South Kivu with intentions to push toward the mineral-rich Tanganyika province.
The UN estimates about 500,000 people have been uprooted by the fighting, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo.
