Rwanda Violates Trump-Brokered Peace Deal, ICG Confirms Escalation

Barely days after signing the highly publicized Washington Peace Accord, hailed by U.S. President Donald Trump as a “historic breakthrough,” Rwanda has demonstrated open contempt for the agreement by intensifying its military operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Reports from the ground confirm that Rwandan-backed M23 forces have seized control of Uvira, a strategic town in eastern Congo, marking a shocking escalation just as the ink on the peace deal dries.

Extraordinary Timing — and a Direct Challenge to Washington

Analysts are seeing this latest incursion as a direct provocation to Washington and a test of the international community’s resolve. The Washington Peace Accord, signed in the presence of multiple African heads of state and witnessed by the U.S. government, was meant to ensure a complete cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Congolese soil.

Instead, Kigali’s forces appear to be moving in the opposite direction, expanding their presence in violation of both the accord and UN Security Council Resolution 2773, which explicitly demands Rwanda’s disengagement from the DRC.

This is the moment when we will see whether the peace agreement signed in Washington truly aimed to end the war in eastern Congo

A Peace Deal Already Undermined

Rwanda’s renewed offensive in Uvira exposes the fragility of Trump’s peace framework and calls into question Kigali’s sincerity. While Paul Kagame was photographed smiling in Washington, his forces were reportedly mobilizing additional units in South Kivu.

The seizure of Uvira underscores a long-standing pattern: Kigali signs peace deals publicly while advancing militarily in private.

Washington’s Credibility on the Line