DRC: M23 rebels continue their advance in South Kivu, take control of strategic town of Luvungi

M23 rebels, supported by the Rwandan army are continuing their advice in the South Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, local sources say. On Saturday, the rebels took control of the strategic town of Luvungi, near the border with Burundi, and several surrounding villages.

Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes as the fighting intensifies.

A spokesperson for the Congolese Armed Forces told Africanews that government troops had withdrawn from Luvungi to avoid major damage and protect civilians.

In a statement, the army said that shells fired from inside Rwanda had hit communities in the Ruzizi plain, killing civilians and destroying schools, health centers and homes.

Independent sources say that the rebels are now advancing towards the town of Uvira.

US-brokered peace deal

The escalation in fighting comes just days after the leaders of the DRC and Rwanda met with US President Trump in Washington and reaffirmed their commitment to an earlier peace plan signed in June.

Lauded by the White House as a “historic” agreement brokered by Trump, the pact between Felix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame followed intensive efforts by the US and other partners including the African Union and Qatar. A separate peace deal has been signed between the DRC and the M23.

Washington is hoping for access to the region’s vital mineral reserves.

Tshisekedi and Kagame did not shake hands and barely looked at each other during the roughly 50-minute signing ceremony.

United Nations experts have said that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan government forces are deployed in eastern Congo, operating alongside the M23. Rwanda denies such support, but says any action taken in the conflict is to protect its territory.