Capture of key South Kivu hub deepens crisis despite recent U.S.-brokered peace deal.
On Wednesday, the Rwanda-backed rebel group March 23 Movement (M23) seized the strategic city of Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the border with Burundi.
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“We confirm that the city of Uvira has been liberated. We call on our compatriots to resume their activities in complete calm,” said Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the Congo River Alliance–March 23 Movement (AFC/M23).
“The AFC/M23 is present to ensure their protection. We also invite those who fled to return to their homes, now free from all harassment and violence,” he added.
Josephine Lusumba, a spokesperson for Uvira’s civil society coordination and a resident of the Kimanga neighborhood in Kalundu commune, said that the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Armed Forces (FARDC), supported by the Wazalendo militias, were still visible in neighborhoods during the morning.
“The rebels are here and we remain under fire, hiding in our homes. The few residents still in Uvira are determined to resist the enemy and are making one last effort. I saw our soldiers come back, and also the Wazalendo. They are here fighting,” Lusumba added.
Tu #DRC 🇨🇩 After Uvira fell to M23 rebels backed by Rwanda’s army, Kinshasa is urging Washington to tighten sanctions on Kigali.
FM Thérèse @kayikwambaT Wagner says current measures are not enough as violence and displacement intensify in the East.#Congo #Uvira #M23 #Rwanda pic.twitter.com/7IUpbE82Oo— Africa universal English (@Africa_Univers1) December 10, 2025
Meanwhile, the FARDC maintained that “the city and its surroundings are under the control of the loyal Army.” However, videos on social media showed columns of M23 members entering the city with apparently no resistance.
Uvira, located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, has served as seat of the Kinshasa-appointed government after Bukavu, the provincial capital, fell to M23 in February. The city has also functioned as a military base, and its capture by rebels could allow them to advance into other areas beyond South Kivu.
The rebel offensive in this mineral-rich region follows a Dec. 4 peace agreement signed in Washington by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump. The deal aimed to end years of conflict. Since then, the governments of the DRC and Rwanda have accused each other of violating the peace accord.
The Washington agreement adds to mediation efforts sponsored by Qatar between the Congolese government and M23, which on Nov. 15 in Doha signed a framework agreement intended to move toward ending the conflict.
The crisis in Congo worsened in January, when M23 took control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, and weeks later seized Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu. Since 1998, eastern DRC has faced conflict fueled by rebel groups and the national Army, despite the deployment of the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO).
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— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) November 20, 2025
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Sources: EFE – TRT
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