Over 400 civilians have been killed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as fighting between government forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group escalated. The latest surge in violence comes despite a recently signed peace agreement in Washington, D.C., which is now at risk of collapsing.
The M23 group has taken control of strategic town of Uvira in South Kivu province, displacing over 200,000 civilians. According to local officials, more than 413 civilians have been killed by bullets, grenades, and bombs in areas between Uvira and Bukavu. The victims include many women, children, and young people.
Regional authorities blame the M23 forces for violating the ceasefire, which was agreed upon earlier this year. Rwandan special forces and foreign mercenaries are reportedly operating in clear violation of the agreement.
The US is calling on Rwanda to withdraw its support for M23, a group that has been accused by the United States, UN experts, and DRC authorities of backing the armed group. The conflict has created one of the world's most significant humanitarian crises, with over seven million people displaced.
M23 said it had taken control of Uvira in a rapid offensive since the start of the month. Residents were seen venturing out to search for food on Thursday morning, despite ongoing tensions.
The US Embassy in Kinshasa urged M23 and Rwandan troops to cease all offensive operations and withdraw. However, Rwanda denied allegations of backing M23, while acknowledging last year that it has troops and missile systems in the eastern DRC to safeguard its security.
The M23 group has taken control of strategic town of Uvira in South Kivu province, displacing over 200,000 civilians. According to local officials, more than 413 civilians have been killed by bullets, grenades, and bombs in areas between Uvira and Bukavu. The victims include many women, children, and young people.
Regional authorities blame the M23 forces for violating the ceasefire, which was agreed upon earlier this year. Rwandan special forces and foreign mercenaries are reportedly operating in clear violation of the agreement.
The US is calling on Rwanda to withdraw its support for M23, a group that has been accused by the United States, UN experts, and DRC authorities of backing the armed group. The conflict has created one of the world's most significant humanitarian crises, with over seven million people displaced.
M23 said it had taken control of Uvira in a rapid offensive since the start of the month. Residents were seen venturing out to search for food on Thursday morning, despite ongoing tensions.
The US Embassy in Kinshasa urged M23 and Rwandan troops to cease all offensive operations and withdraw. However, Rwanda denied allegations of backing M23, while acknowledging last year that it has troops and missile systems in the eastern DRC to safeguard its security.
this is getting out of hand... 400+ civvies killed is just horrific, what's going on with these peace agreements? 
they're supposed to bring stability not more bloodshed! 
the US should be doing more to put pressure on Rwanda to back off M23, it's like they're playing with fire over there... 
and 200k displaced is just a number, can you even imagine being a refugee with no home? 
gotta keep an eye on this situation, hope the world does something about it soon 
... 400+ civilians killed already? That's just heartbreaking. Back in my day, we used to think peace agreements were a bit more concrete than they seem these days 
. I mean, Rwanda backing M23 is just crazy talk. How can you support an armed group and then deny it at the same time? 
It's like they're speaking different languages.
But seriously, someone needs to take a stand here. All these innocent people dying, displaced... it's just not right. I guess you could say we've come a long way since the '90s and early 2000s, but sometimes it feels like we're still taking steps backward in terms of global politics and humanitarian crises 
.
It's a mess, plain and simple.
. and what about all those displaced people? over 7 million... that's just heartbreaking 
people are dyin' left and right 
Rwanda says they're not backin M23 but comon how can you just deny that? 
and US is tryna call them out on it 
meanwhile DRC's like "hey, we got a peace agreement" 
what a mess... seven million people affected, all 'cause of this M23 drama 
can't believe the world's just standin by 
it's just a disaster waiting to happen, 7 million ppl affected by conflict and humanitarian crisis is real 
how can someone back a group that's causing so much pain? 
i read somewhere that it's because M23 was just taking over like a bunch of rogue soldiers or something... 
It's so frustrating when you see these beautiful layouts of peace agreements, only to have them crumble like paper in a storm. 
I know it's easy to say that governments should work together on peacekeeping and all, but when you see these complex web of alliances and interests, it gets hard to track what's real and what's not.
how can you just ignore human rights like that? 
. The US saying Rwanda needs to stop backing M23 is a good start, but we need to see real action taken to stop this violence ASAP 
. We can't let diplomacy fail when it comes to the lives of people in need 
This news is making me so sad... Over 400 innocent civilians killed? It's just not right. I remember watching this same conflict happening on my news feed back in 2012, and it feels like we're still stuck in the same loop. 
The US is definitely right to call them out on this one. But what can be done to prevent these kind of conflicts in the first place? We need more effective solutions, not just band-aids on top of the bleeding wounds. 
and what about those 200k+ displaced folks? where are they gonna go? 
it's like we're watching a horror movie from afar and can't do anything to stop the violence 