Violent fighting is raging between the Congolese army and local militias and the M23 armed group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), despite the signing of a peace agreement, AFP learned Monday from security and local sources.

Since its resurgence in 2021, the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group has seized large swathes of territory in resource-rich eastern DRC, including the major cities of Goma in January and Bukavu in February.

Kinshasa and the M23 signed a declaration of principles in Doha on July 19, where both parties reaffirmed "their commitment to a permanent ceasefire," following the signing of a peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda at the end of June.

These commitments have not, however, stopped the violence in the east, where clashes continue between the M23 and local militias affiliated with Kinshasa.

Since Friday, fighting has intensified around the town of Mulamba in South Kivu province, where the front line has been relatively stable since March.

The M23 pushed back militiamen and soldiers from the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) present in the area after clashes using heavy and light weapons, according to local and security sources.

On Sunday, reinforcements were sent by the Congolese army and the M23 towards Mulamba, local and security sources indicated.

Fighting was still ongoing on Monday around Mulamba, a town located about 80km southwest of Bukavu, the provincial capital.

"Both forces are using heavy weapons" and "bombs are being fired in all directions at Mulamba," worried a resident contacted by telephone by AFP on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.

Neither side has provided any figures for the fighting.

In a statement released Monday, M23 spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka accused Kinshasa of conducting "offensive military maneuvers with a view to a large-scale conflict."

More than 2 million people have fled violence since January in the provinces of North and South Kivu, according to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) published at the end of July.