Rebel fighters have reportedly entered Uvira, the last major city under government control in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, sparking chaos and forcing thousands of residents to flee into neighbouring Burundi.
Witnesses say heavy gunfire and artillery echoed across the city as fighters from the M23 rebel group advanced on Wednesday, meeting almost no resistance. The UN estimates that more than 200,000 people have already been displaced since the latest wave of fighting began earlier this month.
The offense comes just days after US President Donald Trump brokered a peace agreement between DR Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, raising fresh concerns about the viability of the deal. Despite the accord, the security situation has deteriorated rapidly in the mineral-rich region. M23 rebels have claimed they liberated Uvira and residents told UN-backed Radio Okapi that fighters were already present on major streets. Local authorities, however, insist the city has not fallen. South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi said government troops and allied militia were still holding key positions.
Burundi, which lies across Lake Tanganyika just 27km from Uvira, has shut its border in response to the escalating violence. One resident told the BBC that M23 fighters marched into the city in a single formation from the northeast, with some locals even cheering their arrival. But for most people, fear has taken over. Shops and schools remained closed and residents sheltered indoors.
“Three bombs have just exploded in the hills. It’s every man for himself,” one person told AFP.
Regional tensions continue to rise. Burundi has several thousand soldiers deployed in eastern DR Congo. Burundi’s Foreign Minister Edouard Bizimana sharply criticised the rebel advance, calling it a slap in the face to Washington’s diplomatic efforts. He claimed that several truckloads of soldiers from Rwanda had been spotted entering the region as reinforcements. This follows accusations from the US, the European Union and eight European countries that Rwanda is supporting the M23 offensive. The group urged an immediate halt to the fighting and called for the withdrawal of all Rwandan troops. The US State Department echoed this, saying Rwanda continues to provide support to M23. Rwanda denies this, accusing DR Congo and Burundi of violating the ceasefire through cross-border shelling.
The humanitarian impact continues to mount. The UN reports that at least 74 people have been killed in the latest clashes, most of them civilians and around 83 others have been treated for injuries. A Burundian administrative official said more than 8,000 people crossed the border into Burundi daily over the past two days, with at least 30,000 new arrivals in one week. This offensive follows last year’s capture of Goma and Bukavu by M23, giving the rebels control of almost all major urban centres in eastern DR Congo.
M23 is not party to the US-brokered peace deal and is engaged in separate negotiations mediated by Qatar. In a national address earlier this week, President Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of deliberate violations of the peace agreement and attempting to destabilise a region rich in critical minerals vital to DR Congo’s economy. Rwanda responded by claiming that DR Congo and Burundian forces had bombed villages along its border, forcing about 1,000 civilians to flee into Rwanda.
The conflict in eastern DR Congo has persisted for more than three decades, fuelled by competition for territory, political influence and valuable mineral resources. Despite numerous peace agreements since the 1990s, long-term stability has remained out of reach.
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