A deadly explosion in eastern Congo has killed more than 30 people and injured about 20 others following a confrontation between the Congolese army and a militia aligned with government forces—just days after the signing of a U.S.-brokered peace deal widely praised as a breakthrough, reports AP.
Residents and civil society leaders told The Associated Press that Congo’s armed forces (FARDC) and the pro-government Wazalendo militia exchanged fire Sunday evening before a powerful blast rocked the town of Sange in South Kivu province.
Eastern Congo remains destabilized by more than 100 armed groups vying for control in the mineral-rich border region, where the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have emerged as the most dominant. The conflict has driven one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, displacing more than 7 million people.
The explosion occurred only days after the United States finalized a peace agreement intended to halt hostilities between FARDC and M23. But residents, civil society representatives, and analysts say clashes have continued despite the accord.
Faraja Mahano Robert, a community leader in Sange, said FARDC soldiers returning from the front line attempted to move toward Uvira but were ordered to stop. When some refused, fighting broke out between the soldiers and Wazalendo fighters, followed by the deadly blast. Many residents fled toward neighboring Burundi for safety.
The situation in Sange remained tense Monday. Resident Amani Safari reported ongoing departures and renewed clashes between Wazalendo and FARDC early that morning. Another resident, David Kaserore, said civilians feel trapped between armed groups and increasingly unable to distinguish the army from militias, urging the government to end the violence.
The Congolese military did not immediately comment.
Meanwhile, in a speech to Parliament, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of violating the peace deal, looting Congo’s natural resources, and undermining national institutions. Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington last week to sign the agreement, which the White House called historic.
Tshisekedi alleged that Rwandan forces launched heavy weapons attacks from the Rwandan town of Bugarama the day after the signing, calling the assault “proxy aggression” and rejecting claims that Congo faces an internal rebellion.
Burundi’s foreign minister, Edouard Bizimana, also accused Rwanda of duplicity, saying Kigali signs agreements while escalating drone attacks on civilians. Burundi, which fights alongside the Congolese army against M23, warned that repeated attacks could prompt legal action.
Rwandan officials did not immediately respond.
Despite the peace deal, residents reported intensified fighting in South Kivu last week. Both M23 and FARDC have repeatedly accused each other of breaching earlier cease-fire terms.
Earlier this year, M23 captured the key eastern cities of Goma and Bukavu. U.N. experts estimate the group is supported by roughly 4,000 Rwandan troops, and the rebels have at times threatened to advance toward the capital, Kinshasa, nearly 1,600 kilometers away.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
