The United States has openly accused Rwandan President Paul Kagame of directing the latest military offensive by M23 rebels that led to the capture of Uvira, a key city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), marking one of Washington’s strongest public condemnations of Kigali’s role in the conflict.
Speaking before the United Nations Security Council on Friday, U.S. representative Mike Waltz said Rwanda exercised strategic command over M23 and its political coalition, the Congo River Alliance, and was directly involved in planning and executing the recent operation—despite having signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement only days earlier.
Waltz said the renewed fighting violated commitments made under the Washington Accords, signed on December 4, describing the offensive as a major setback to regional peace efforts. He told the Council that Rwandan and M23 forces launched a coordinated assault last weekend, culminating in the overnight takeover of Uvira in South Kivu, near the Burundi border.
According to the U.S., Rwandan troops were operating alongside M23 fighters on the front lines. Waltz estimated that between 5,000 and 7,000 Rwandan soldiers were present inside Congolese territory as of early December, with indications that troop numbers may have increased during the latest advance.
He further alleged that Rwanda has supplied M23 with advanced weaponry, including surface-to-air missiles, heavy artillery, and logistical support, significantly shifting the balance of power in North and South Kivu. The U.S. also expressed concern over reports of escalating tactics, including the use of suicide drones and intensified shelling, some of which reportedly landed inside Burundi.