M23 Seizes Strategic City of Uvira

The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has taken control of Uvira, a key lakeside city in South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), despite a recent United States-brokered peace agreement.

The city, located on the northern shore of Lake Tanganyika near Burundi’s largest city, serves as the interim headquarters of South Kivu’s provincial government, following M23’s seizure of the provincial capital Bukavu earlier this year.

According to M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, Uvira has been “fully liberated,” with residents urged to return home amid a visible rebel presence on city streets.

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Refugees Describe Chaos and Casualties

Congolese refugees have recounted harrowing experiences as they fled the city. Many families were separated during bombardments, and civilians were killed in indiscriminate attacks.

• Akilimali Mirindi, who fled to Rwanda, lost contact with seven of her ten children after bombs destroyed her home near the border.
• Jeanette Bendereza ran with four children after M23 and Burundian fighters attacked, having previously returned to DRC believing peace had been restored.
• Olinabangi Kayibanda witnessed a pregnant neighbor and her two children killed in an explosion.

Regional officials estimate over 413 civilians have died since early December, and roughly 200,000 people have been displaced, adding to the more than seven million uprooted across eastern DRC.

Al Jazeera reporters documented abandoned military trucks, bodies along escape routes, and a tenuous calm under heavy M23 presence in Uvira.

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Failed Peace Efforts and International Response

The latest offensive undermined a peace agreement signed in Washington on December 4, 2025, mediated by former US President Donald Trump. The accord required Rwanda to cease support for armed groups, but the M23 was not a party to the negotiations and continued operations under separate Qatar-mediated talks.

DRC authorities accused Rwanda of deploying special forces and foreign mercenaries, violating both the Washington and earlier Doha agreements. The US embassy in Kinshasa called for Rwandan withdrawal, while DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner urged the US to impose sanctions, noting that condemnation alone was insufficient.

In the UN Security Council, US Ambassador Mike Waltz accused Rwanda of destabilizing the region and called for restraint to avoid a wider conflict. Meanwhile, Rwanda denies backing M23 and alleges Burundian and Congolese forces have violated the ceasefire.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the escalation could spark a broader regional conflagration, emphasizing the urgent need for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

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Humanitarian Crisis Intensifies

The capture of Uvira threatens to deepen the humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC, with thousands of displaced civilians facing food insecurity, destroyed infrastructure, and ongoing violence. Refugee camps in Rwanda and Burundi are already overwhelmed by arrivals fleeing M23 advances.

Aid organizations, including the Red Cross, are working to recover bodies and provide emergency support, while the international community monitors the situation closely, highlighting the fragility of peace in the region.