The United Nations Security Council convened on Friday, December 12, to address the escalating conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where renewed fighting has intensified fears of a wider regional crisis. US Ambassador Mike Waltz accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group, stating that Rwanda was "leading the region towards increased instability and war." Waltz vowed that the US would use all available tools to hold "spoilers to peace" accountable, expressing profound concern and disappointment over the renewed violence.

Burundi issued a stern warning during the Security Council session, with its UN Ambassador Zephyrin Maniratanga cautioning that "restraint has its limits." Maniratanga stated that continued "irresponsible attacks" would make it "extremely difficult to avoid a direct escalation between our two countries." Burundi condemned what it described as the Rwanda Defence Force’s (RDF) role in the seizure of Uvira, a strategic lakeside city, and called it a repeated violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2773 (2025). The offensive caused severe civilian suffering and mass displacement into Burundi, particularly into the border areas of Gatumba and Cibitoke, straining humanitarian capacity. Burundi also reported cross-border artillery and drone strikes on its territory, violating its sovereignty and threatening regional stability. The delegate called for impartial implementation of the Washington peace commitments and Resolution 2773, stressing the need to protect civilians and provide humanitarian assistance, while also urging the Council to consider arms embargoes and targeted economic sanctions.

Rwanda vehemently rejected the accusations. Its UN Ambassador Martin Ngoga denied any intent to wage war against Burundi or destabilise the region, asserting that "Rwanda is not waging war against the Republic of Burundi and has no intention of doing that." Ngoga accused Burundi of attacking Rwandan territory and of secretly deploying tens of thousands of troops deep inside Congolese territory, including Uvira, far from its stated security concerns. He also accused the DRC of violating the ceasefire and reaffirmed Kigali’s commitment to peace efforts, including the Washington peace deal and the Doha Framework. Ngoga further alleged that Congolese, Burundian forces, and allied militias were persecuting the Banyamulenge community in South Kivu, citing village destruction, forced displacement, killings, blockades, and drone strikes as warning signs of potential atrocity crimes. Rwandan President Paul Kagame echoed these sentiments, accusing international actors of remaining silent while Burundian forces shelled communities in Minembwe, only to "suddenly discover Rwanda" after Uvira's fall, thereby blaming Rwanda unfairly.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, through Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, urged the international community to take firm action against Rwanda. Wagner called on the Security Council to end years of impunity, declaring, "We have reached a moment of truth, either the international order accepts being openly defied, namely by Rwanda, or this council assumes its responsibility. Impunity has gone on for far too long."

The latest advance by M23, which claims it is fighting to protect ethnic Tutsi communities in eastern DRC, comes just a week after Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met President Donald Trump in Washington. During this meeting on December 4, 2025, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a US-brokered peace agreement, the "Washington Accords," at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Saturday that Rwanda had clearly violated this peace agreement, vowing unspecified "action" in response to the M23's advance and seizure of Uvira. The fall of Uvira, following the capture of Luvungi, Sange, and Kiliba, marked one of the most significant battlefield setbacks for Kinshasa in years, forcing Congolese army units to withdraw amidst heavy gunfire and triggering mass overnight displacement.

US Ambassador Waltz detailed Rwanda's extensive involvement, stating that Kigali had exercised strategic control over M23 and its political wing, the Congo River Alliance (AFC), since the group re-emerged in 2021. Waltz claimed, "Kigali has been intimately involved in planning and executing the war in eastern DRC, providing military and political direction to M23 forces and AFC for years now." He added that the Rwandan Defence Forces have provided materiel, logistics, and training support to M23, and have been fighting alongside M23 in DRC with approximately 5,000 to 7,000 troops as of early December, with their firepower including surface-to-air missiles, drones, and artillery. The US called on Rwanda to uphold its commitments and recognize the DRC’s right to defend its territory and invite Burundian forces onto its territory.

Despite the Washington-mediated talks involving regional governments, M23 is not a party to those negotiations. The rebel group is instead engaged in a separate, parallel dialogue with the Congolese government under the mediation of Qatar. Since taking up arms again in 2021, M23 has seized swathes of territory, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians and leading to a spiraling humanitarian crisis. Earlier this month, UN experts reported that Rwanda's army and the M23 had carried out summary executions and forced mass displacements. The sharply opposing statements at the Security Council highlight deep divisions as the conflict escalates, humanitarian access shrinks, and fears grow that the conflict could spill into a wider regional war.