DR Congo and M23 Rebels Trade Blame Over Ceasefire Violations
Last update: February 20, 2026
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Fighting resumes despite Angola-mediated agreement in the east.
The DR Congo government and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group accused each other on Friday of violating an Angolan-mediated ceasefire in the country’s eastern provinces.
Angola proposed the ceasefire to both Kinshasa and Kigali, with the DRC government accepting it “in principle” but not confirming a start date. A temporary lull in fighting began Thursday in a region that has seen more than 30 years of violence.
Since 2021, the M23 has seized large areas in North Kivu and South Kivu, backed by Rwanda.
The group launched a new offensive in December on the town of Uvira amid the ratification of a US-mediated agreement between the DRC and Rwanda.
While the Congolese government accepted the ceasefire in principle, M23 accused Kinshasa of manipulation for failing to confirm its start.
CBI News reports that local and security sources reported a brief pause in fighting since Wednesday, but tensions flared again on Friday.
The Congolese military said M23 attacked its positions in North Kivu and South Kivu, undermining the peace process. In response, M23 claimed Kinshasa forces had violated the ceasefire.
Local sources reported renewed clashes around Minembwe in the South Kivu highlands, where government troops, local militias, and Burundian soldiers have been fighting M23-affiliated militias. Other areas of the front line remain relatively calm.
Eastern DR Congo hosts numerous armed groups, sometimes used as proxies, and since M23’s resurgence in 2021, several ceasefires and truces have repeatedly failed.
