A rebel group known as M23, backed by Rwanda, has claimed the capture of the strategically significant city of Uvira in eastern Congo. The takeover occurred on Wednesday afternoon after a swift offensive launched earlier in the month. The group’s spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, announced the capture and urged citizens to return to their homes. Uvira, positioned as a crucial port city at the northern end of Lake Tanganyika, directly faces Bujumbura, the largest city in Burundi.
While M23 asserted control over Uvira, Congolese authorities refrained from immediate comments on the situation. This offensive by M23 follows a peace agreement mediated by the United States and signed by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington the previous week. The agreement excluded the rebels, who are engaged in separate negotiations with Congo and had previously agreed to a ceasefire, which both sides have accused each other of breaching. The agreement also binds Rwanda to cease supporting armed groups and work towards ending hostilities.
Residents of Uvira described a night of chaos as Congolese army forces fled, and gunfire echoed throughout the city. The eastern region of Congo, near the Rwandan border, is a battleground for more than 100 armed groups competing for control over its mineral-rich territories, with M23 being one of the most prominent factions. This conflict has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis, displacing over seven million people, according to officials.
Despite the recent deal in Washington, reports indicate escalated fighting in South Kivu. Local UN sources have documented over 200,000 people displaced in the province since early December, with more than 70 casualties. The conflict has spilled over into Burundi, with civilians seeking refuge in the neighboring country and reports of shells hitting the Burundian town of Rugombo.
In response to M23’s advance, a Congolese government source informed Reuters that the military opted not to engage to safeguard civilians. UN experts estimate that the rebels in Congo receive support from approximately 4,000 Rwandan troops and have previously expressed intentions to march towards Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, located about 1,600 kilometers to the east.
Earlier this year, M23 seized control of Goma and Bukavu, two significant cities in eastern Congo, marking a critical escalation in the ongoing conflict. Recent reports indicate M23’s capture of Luvungi, a town that had been a frontline position since February, with intense fighting ongoing near Sange and Kiliba, villages further along the road from the north towards Uvira.
The International Contact Group (ICG) for the Great Lakes, comprising the U.S. and nine other member states, expressed deep concerns over renewed clashes in South Kivu province, where Uvira is situated, warning of potential destabilization in the broader region. Burundi’s foreign minister, Edouard Bizimana, disclosed that his country had received over 30,000 refugees from Congo in the past three days.