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In a stark challenge to a recent US-brokered peace deal, the M23 rebel group has captured the strategic city of Uvira in eastern Congo. This major advance gives the militia, which is backed by Rwanda, control over both North and South Kivu provinces just days after US President Donald Trump hosted leaders to sign the “Washington Accord.” The deal, which excluded M23 from negotiations, aimed to end the decades-long conflict through investment and mutual pledges between Congo and Rwanda. However, analysts describe the accord as “all carrot and no stick,” saying it fails to address the rebels’ territorial gains or demands. With M23 consolidating a parallel government, the continued fighting exposes the immense difficulty of translating high-level diplomacy into on-the-ground peace.
The New York Times