DRC fighting forces 200,000 to flee just days after Washington peace deal

Washington's Peace Deal Sparks Chaos in Eastern DRC as Fighting Escalates

Just days after Donald Trump hosted Rwandan and Congolese leaders to sign a peace deal, thousands of people have fled their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as M23 rebels advance on strategic town Uvira. The United Nations has reported at least 74 civilian deaths and 83 hospital admissions due to escalating clashes in the region.

M23 fighters pushed towards Uvira after coming under attack by government forces, according to Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo rebel coalition. However, despite their intention to advance on the town, M23's Bertrand Bisimwa reiterated support for Qatari-led peace talks in Doha, where representatives signed a framework agreement last month.

The conflict has already displaced over 1.2 million people before the latest upsurge in fighting. Local officials and residents reported fierce clashes between M23 rebels, Congolese troops, and local groups known as Wazalendo in villages to the north of Uvira.

Despite Rwanda's denials of supporting the rebels, US officials have expressed concern over Rwanda's involvement, stating that they must prevent further escalation. "Rwanda, which continues to provide support to M23, must prevent further escalation," a state department spokesperson said.

The situation remains tense in eastern DRC as fighting continues, with Uvira still under threat from M23 rebels. The humanitarian crisis deepens, with thousands of people forced to flee their homes and more than 80 people injured in the past few days alone.

As the conflict escalates, it raises questions about the effectiveness of Washington's peace deal. With the situation on the ground deteriorating rapidly, international pressure is mounting on Rwanda to prevent further violence. The future of the peace process hangs in the balance as thousands struggle to survive amidst the chaos.

man... this whole thing is so messed up , i dont think washington's peace deal was even ready for implementation yet and already it's causing more problems, like what were they thinking? uvira town is literally right in the middle of all this chaos... how are people supposed to feel safe there now? thousands of ppl have lost their homes & lives... that's just not acceptable. i wish international leaders would take a step back, breathe, and think about what they're doing before acting

omg this is so concerning . i mean, just days after a peace deal signing and already it's spiraling out of control? 74 civilian deaths? 83 hospital admissions?! that's just devastating . and the fact that rwanda's still providing support to m23 rebels is really worrying . i think the us and other intl organizations need to step up their efforts to prevent further escalation, you know? it's not like this is a new problem, they've been dealing with it for years, but somehow things just keep getting worse . and what about the 1.2 million people already displaced?! can't we do better than this?

I'm really worried about what's happening in Eastern DRC right now... I mean, I know we've been hearing about this conflict for a while, but it seems like things are getting more and more out of control . The thought of so many people having to flee their homes because of fighting is just heartbreaking . And the fact that there's still no clear solution to end the violence is really frustrating. I wish we could see some progress in those peace talks in Doha, but it feels like they're being overshadowed by the chaos on the ground .

I also can't help but think about how this situation is connected to the peace deal signed just days ago... did that even make a difference or was it just a Band-Aid solution? I'm not sure what's going on, but one thing's for sure - we need to do something to support those people who are suffering right now .

Ugh I just can't believe our world leaders are still messing with each other like a bunch of kids . First, they're trying to broker peace, then M23 rebels come out of nowhere and start causing chaos... what's the point? And Rwanda's denying everything but US officials are all like "boo hoo" . Newsflash: if you're providing support to a rebel group that's causing chaos in another country, it's not a great look for your international relations . Can't we just get along for once? The DRC's already dealing with so much stuff... 1.2 million people displaced and now thousands more fleeing their homes? It's just heartbreaking . Where's the money going to come from to fix this mess?

this peace deal thingy is not going as planned, you know? just days after Trump hosts these leaders and they're already having more fighting... it's like, what even is the point? 1.2 million people displaced already, and now thousands are fleeing their homes again? that's just crazy . i feel bad for those wazalendo folks who are caught in the middle of all this... they deserve some peace, too . and what's with rwanda not owning up to supporting m23? like, can't we get some truth here? it's all just so frustrating . i hope the us is doing something to help prevent further escalation... this situation is getting out of hand .

Oh no , this is getting so bad . First one day it's a peace deal and next M23 rebels are fighting again . 74 civilian deaths? that's just too much. How can we trust Rwanda when they're not saying what they're doing ? US officials need to keep an eye on this , I'm getting worried .

I don't get why peace talks are still a thing if M23 is already moving forward with their guns . And what about the people affected? 1.2 million displaced, that's crazy . We need to help these people ASAP . Can't we all just get along ... I guess not

This whole thing is super worrying . I mean, you'd think that after all these years, we'd have some kind of stability in the DRC, right? But nope, M23's just showing up and causing more chaos . And it's not like they're even trying to hide their involvement with Rwanda... come on, guys, be honest .

And what really gets me is that everyone's just talking about the latest escalation without actually thinking about how it affects the people on the ground . We're all so caught up in our own politics and diplomatic game-playing that we forget about the poor folks who are getting hurt .

I'm not saying Washington's peace deal was a great idea or anything, but come on... can't we just work together to support the Congolese government and get these rebels under control? It seems like the more they escalate, the more we're all losing ground .

I mean, I think this whole thing with M23 rebels and US peace deal is super messed up . On one hand, it's great that there's some kind of framework agreement in Doha, but on the other hand, the situation in eastern DRC just keeps getting worse . Like, 1.2 million people already displaced? That's crazy. And now thousands more are fleeing their homes because of fighting between M23 and government forces? It's just heartbreaking.

I don't know, man... I feel like we're not doing enough to help these people. The US is all like "we're concerned about Rwanda's involvement", but what's the plan, you know? Are they gonna send more troops or something? It feels like everyone's just standing around watching as this humanitarian crisis unfolds.

And don't even get me started on the fact that M23 fighters are advancing on Uvira after coming under attack by government forces. Like, what's going on here? Is it just a big mess? I think we need to be more critical of our approach to conflict resolution and make sure we're actually supporting people on the ground rather than just signing papers in some conference room .

I'm like totally torn about this whole thing . On one hand, I get that Rwanda and Congo are trying to resolve their differences through diplomacy, and that's a pretty great start . But on the other hand, it feels like we're just spinning our wheels because M23 is basically getting away with some serious bad stuff . Like, what's up with Rwanda supporting these rebels if not to further destabilize the region? And those 74 civilian deaths? That's just crazy, dude . I guess my point is that while I appreciate the effort to find peace in DRC, we need to make sure that our actions aren't just papering over some deeper issues .

This whole thing is so messed up . I mean, just when you think there's progress being made in countries like DRC, it feels like things fall apart again . The fact that thousands of people had to flee their homes because of fighting and violence is just heartbreaking . And the US is now saying they're not happy about Rwanda's involvement? Like, what did we expect from Rwanda? They've been accused of supporting M23 before too... . It feels like this peace deal was just a PR stunt to get attention . The humanitarian crisis is getting worse by the day, and it's not looking good for the future of DRC or those affected by it . Can't we all just try to work together for once?