Congo President Tshisekedi Accuses Rwanda Of Violating Peace Deal

KINSHASA, Dec 8 (Reuters) – Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said on Monday that Rwanda is violating its commitments just days after attending a ceremony in Washington to sign deals that aimed to end years of conflict in the country’s mineral-rich east.

Tshisekedi made the accusations in a speech to lawmakers. There was no immediate response from Rwanda.

Deadly clashes have marred efforts to begin implementing the terms of U.S. and Qatar-brokered agreements signed in recent months between Congo, Rwanda, and the rebel group M23.

Over the weekend, Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advanced in an area close to the border with Burundi, seizing the village of Luvungi, according to two local residents who spoke to Reuters and shared a video of the rebels holding a meeting there. Rwanda denies backing the rebels.

Some Congolese soldiers fled the town and clashed with local Wazalendo defense forces on Sunday in the nearby town of Sange, local officials said.

Sange was bombed or struck with grenades, and as many as 36 people were killed, a local official and other sources said on Monday. It was not immediately clear which party to the conflict had fired or which type of weapon had caused the deadly explosion.

A civil society source shared photos of bodies of those killed, who appeared to be civilians wearing colorful, non-military clothing, covered in blood and lying at odd angles. Two bodies were small and appeared to belong to young children.

The Congolese army did not immediately respond to a request for comment. M23 also did not respond to a request for comment.

Last week, Rwanda and Congo reaffirmed their commitment to a U.S.-brokered deal signed in June and signed new agreements in Washington.