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The M23 rebel group announced on Wednesday afternoon that it has gained control of the strategically important city of Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after a swift offensive that began earlier this month.
This declaration was made on X by M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, who urged locals to return to their residences. Uvira is a vital port city at the northern edge of Lake Tanganyika, directly facing Burundi’s largest city, Bujumbura. DRC officials did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the M23’s capture of the city.
The recent assault by M23 occurred despite a US-brokered peace deal signed just last week by the leaders of Congo and Rwanda in Washington, DC. This agreement did not involve the rebels, who are in separate negotiations with the DRC and had previously agreed to a ceasefire this year that both parties claim the other has breached. However, it requires Rwanda to stop assisting armed groups and to work toward resolving the conflict.
Over 100 armed factions are competing for control in the mineral-rich eastern DRC near the Rwandan border, with the M23 group being the most notable. This ongoing conflict has sparked one of the largest humanitarian crises globally, leading to the displacement of more than 7 million individuals, as reported by officials.
M23 Claim Capture of Key DR Congo City. Photo: Reuters
According to residents, fighting has escalated in South Kivu over the past week, despite the agreement reached in Washington, DC, which included US President Donald Trump.
Local UN partners have noted that, since December 2, more than 200,000 people have been displaced in the province, with over 70 lives lost.
Civilians have also fled into Burundi, and there have been incidents of shells landing in the town of Rugombo on the Burundian side of the border, raising alarms about the potential spillover of conflict into Burundian territory.
UN experts claim that the DRC rebels receive support from approximately 4,000 troops from neighbouring Rwanda, and they have occasionally threatened to advance toward the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, located roughly 1,600 kilometres to the east.
Earlier this year, M23 took control of Goma and Bukavu, two key cities in eastern DRC, marking a significant escalation in the protracted conflict.
