RDF/M23 break Angola mediated truce as clashes resume,DRC army reoprts

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s army says clashes have resumed in the country’s east despite an Angola-backed truce, a development that tests Luanda’s mediation push and risks widening instability across the Great Lakes region.

In a statement cited by Congolese media, the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) accused the AFC/M23 coalition of launching attacks in North Kivu and South Kivu after the ceasefire window that Angolan mediation had proposed to begin on February 18. The army also alleged abuses against civilians in parts of South Kivu and warned that renewed violence could undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts.

The truce initiative has been closely tied to Angola’s regional role under President João Lourenço, who has framed a ceasefire as a necessary first step toward de-escalation and a pathway to talks. Regional and continental diplomacy has pushed for an “immediate” halt to hostilities in eastern Congo amid concerns the conflict could spill across borders through displacement, armed-group alliances, and shifting military support.

FARDC’s accusations were rejected by the rebels, according to the same reporting. Corneille Nangaa, described as a coordinator of the AFC/M23, argued that the group’s actions were linked to what it called Kinshasa’s failure to respect the ceasefire. The competing claims underscore the challenge for mediators: ceasefires in eastern Congo have repeatedly faltered when parties dispute implementation, monitoring, and sequencing especially around control of key towns and supply routes.

The security situation is also unfolding alongside an intensifying humanitarian emergency. The report describes families displaced in recent weeks and difficult conditions in makeshift sites around Uvira, with limited access to assistance. Civil society and humanitarian sources referenced in the article estimate large-scale civilian flight since early February, reflecting how quickly fresh fighting can overwhelm local coping capacity and impede aid delivery.

Fresh clashes were also reported in the Minembwe highlands of South Kivu, where local sources said fighting involved Wazalendo groups described as allied with the Congolese army and the Twirwaneho militia, which the report portrays as close to AFC/M23. These overlapping fronts conventional battles, militia conflict, and allegations of external backing complicate ceasefire diplomacy because violence can continue even if top-level commitments are announced.

For Angola and other regional actors, the stakes go beyond a single ceasefire date. A collapse in the truce risks hardening positions, triggering new displacement toward neighboring countries, and further entrenching parallel armed administrations in contested zones. Whether mediation can translate into durable de-escalation may depend on credible monitoring, clearer commitments from the parties, and rapid humanitarian access in the areas most affected.