M23 Uvira news Rebels seize city, civilians flee DRC conflict

M23 Uvira news: Rebels capture strategic DRC city, displacing thousands and escalating humanitarian crisis in South Kivu.
The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing a severe humanitarian crisis as M23 rebels solidify control over the strategic city of Uvira. This development comes despite a recent United States-brokered peace deal aimed at halting hostilities in the region.

Residents and refugees are recounting harrowing experiences of death, destruction, and family separation as fighting escalates.

Refugees Describe Chaos and Loss

At Nyarushishi refugee camp in Rwanda’s Rusizi district, survivors have shared traumatic stories of fleeing violence. Akilimali Mirindi, 40, described escaping with only three of her ten children after her home near the South Kivu border was destroyed in bombardments.

“I don’t know what happened to the other seven, or their father,” she said. Around 1,000 people recently arrived at the camp following renewed clashes.

UN officials estimate that over 413 civilians have been killed since early December, with women and children among the majority of the victims.

Uvira Falls Despite Washington Peace Deal

M23 has now cemented control over Uvira, a key city on the northern shore of Lake Tanganyika. The city also serves as South Kivu’s interim government headquarters after the provincial capital, Bukavu, fell to M23 earlier this year.

The seizure comes just days after a high-profile peace agreement in Washington, where former U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame. That deal, described at the time as “historic,” obligated Rwanda to stop supporting armed groups in eastern DRC.

First Reports from the Ground

Al Jazeera, the first international outlet to enter Uvira since the takeover, reported a tense calm in the city, with heavy M23 military presence. Streets were littered with destroyed vehicles, and humanitarian groups were conducting burials along major roads.

Residents fleeing the city described intense bombardment and attacks from multiple directions. Thomas Mutabazi, 67, said:

“Bombs were raining down on us from all sides. We had to leave our families and our fields behind.”

Other refugees recounted even more harrowing scenes. Jeanette Bendereza, who had fled earlier in February, returned home only to find M23 controlling the city once again. Another, Olinabangi Kayibanda, witnessed a pregnant neighbor and her two children killed during an airstrike.

Regional Tensions Escalate

The DRC government has accused Rwanda of sending special forces and foreign mercenaries to Uvira in violation of the Washington and previous Doha agreements. Rwanda denies these claims and instead accuses DRC and Burundian forces of shelling civilians.

The US embassy in Kinshasa called for the withdrawal of foreign troops, while Congolese officials urged Washington to impose sanctions. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the conflict risks spreading further across the region, urging an immediate cessation of hostilities.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

The offensive has displaced an estimated 200,000 people in Uvira and surrounding areas, adding to the more than seven million already uprooted across eastern DRC. Refugees are struggling with loss of family members, homes, and basic necessities, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian aid.

With M23 consolidating its hold on Uvira, experts warn that the crisis could spill over into neighboring Burundi and destabilize the wider Great Lakes region.