Congo War Escalates: Refugees Flee to Rwanda Amid Bloodshed and Chaos

A surge in fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has left thousands of refugees fleeing to Rwanda, despite a peace deal brokered by US President Donald Trump. The M23 armed group, backed by Rwanda, has seized vast areas of eastern DRC over the past year and is once again on the move, taking key cities like Uvira. In the Nyarushishi refugee camp in Rwanda's Rusizi district, Congolese refugees described the horrors they faced as they fled. Akilimali Mirindi, 40, recounted how she lost seven of her 10 children and her husband in the chaos. "I made a decision to cross into Rwanda with the rest," she said, adding that many people died, young and old, as they fled. The violence has continued despite a meeting between Trump, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi on December 4, aimed at ending the conflict. Thomas Mutabazi, 67, a refugee in the camp, criticized the lack of understanding between the two presidents, saying "If they don't reach an understanding, war will go on.