The Congolese government on Saturday rejected Kenya’s appointment of a consul general to Goma, accusing Nairobi of violating international law and bypassing established diplomatic procedures.

Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in eastern Congo, has been the epicenter of fierce clashes between government forces and M23 rebels. The city fell to the rebels earlier this year after days of heavy fighting that forced the Congolese army to retreat.

In a statement, Congo’s foreign ministry said Kenya failed to notify Kinshasa before announcing the posting, a step required under international norms.

Officials warned that the move risked creating the impression that Nairobi was legitimizing the rebel occupation.

“The way Kenya nominated the diplomat to the occupied city of Goma without informing the Congolese government could appear to legitimize the rebel group’s control,” the ministry said, urging “caution and discernment in public communication.”

Kenya’s announcement of Judy Kiara as Consul General, was made Friday as part of a broader round of diplomatic appointments.

The development comes amid faltering peace efforts. Qatar recently brokered a “declaration of principles” between Kinshasa and the M23 rebels, but negotiations collapsed and renewed fighting has since gripped the mineral-rich region.

The conflict in eastern Congo has drawn in several neighbors, including Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, and Kenya, each of which has deployed troops at different times. Their involvement has complicated already fragile regional diplomacy aimed at ending the decades-long cycle of violence.