U.S. Issues Stark Warning to Rwanda, Signals Trump-Era Repercussions Weeks After DRC Peace Deal

The United States has delivered a pointed warning to Rwanda over its alleged military involvement in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), cautioning that such actions constitute a grave breach of the Washington Accords—an agreement signed in the U.S. capital earlier this month to de-escalate one of Africa’s most volatile conflicts.

The accord was formally inked on December 4 by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, in a ceremony witnessed by several African heads of state, among them Kenya’s President William Ruto. The deal was brokered under the auspices of U.S. President Donald Trump and was hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough aimed at restoring stability in the Great Lakes region.

However, barely weeks after the signatures dried, Washington has accused Kigali of reneging on its commitments.

In a sharply worded statement posted on his official X account on Saturday, December 14, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Rwanda’s conduct in eastern DRC flagrantly violates the terms of the Washington Accords and warned that the United States is prepared to act.

“Rwanda’s actions in eastern DRC are a clear violation of the Washington Accords signed by President Trump, and the United States will take action to ensure that promises made to the President are kept,” Rubio declared.

The warning comes against the backdrop of intensifying violence in eastern Congo, where the Rwanda-linked M23 rebel group has continued a rapid territorial advance, seizing key strategic locations—including the lakeside port city of Uvira near the Burundian border—just days after the peace agreement was signed.

Kigali has pushed back forcefully against the U.S. position. Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, accused the international community of selective outrage and double standards, arguing that global actors were fully informed of the situation on the ground.

“Rwanda is surprised to note that even though the international community was fully briefed and has its own means of investigation, voices have suddenly woken up only when the AFC/M23 decided to retaliate,” Nduhungirehe said.

At the United Nations on Friday, the United States went further, accusing Rwanda of actively fuelling instability and prolonging war in eastern DRC at a moment when Washington is attempting to broker a lasting peace.

According to U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, Rwandan defence forces have provided extensive material, logistical and training support to the M23 rebels and have allegedly fought alongside them inside Congolese territory.

“The Rwandan defence forces have provided material, logistics, and training support to M23, as well as warring alongside M23 in DRC with roughly 5,000 troops supporting an estimated 7,000 fighters,” Waltz told the Security Council.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix warned that the renewed offensive poses an existential threat to the territorial integrity of the DRC, cautioning that the latest attacks risk the “progressive fragmentation” of the country, particularly in the east.

Regional tensions also spilled into the Security Council chamber. Burundi’s ambassador to the UN, Zephyrin Maniratanga, accused Rwanda of carrying out cross-border bombings on Burundian territory—an allegation Kigali has flatly denied.

Responding to the claims, Rwanda’s ambassador to the UN, Martin Ngoga, insisted that his country has no intention of opening a new front with its neighbour.

“Rwanda is not waging war against the Republic of Burundi and has no intention of doing that,” Ngoga said.

Meanwhile, Congolese Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner issued a blistering rebuke of the international community, calling for sanctions against Rwanda and accusing the UN Security Council of paralysis in the face of mounting aggression.

As fighting escalates and diplomatic tempers flare, the credibility of the Washington Accords—and Washington’s leverage in enforcing them—now hangs in the balance, with the Great Lakes region once again edging perilously close to wider conflict.