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Rebels enter Uvira amid heavy fighting
Fighters from the M23 rebel group have advanced into Uvira, the last government-held city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's mineral-rich region, sparking mass displacement into neighboring Burundi. Residents reported artillery fire and chaotic scenes as the offensive unfolded Wednesday, despite a recent U.S.-brokered peace agreement.
Conflicting claims over city control
M23 rebels declared they had "liberated" Uvira, with witnesses telling UN-backed Radio Okapi that armed fighters now patrol major streets. However, South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi insisted government forces and allied militias still held the city, located just 27 kilometers from Burundi's capital, Bujumbura.
A resident told the BBC that M23 fighters entered Uvira from the northeast in a single column, meeting no resistance. Some locals cheered their arrival, while others described a city under lockdown, with schools and shops shuttered.
"Three bombs have just exploded in the hills. It's every man for himself."
Uvira resident, speaking to AFP
Regional tensions escalate
Burundi, which has thousands of troops in eastern Congo supporting the government, closed its border with Congo, according to a military source cited by AFP. Burundian Foreign Minister Edouard Bizimana condemned the M23 advance as "a slap in the face" to U.S. mediation efforts, calling it "a middle finger" to the peace deal signed last week under President Donald Trump's brokerage.
The U.S., European Union, and eight European nations accused Rwanda of backing the rebel offensive in a joint statement Tuesday, demanding an immediate halt to hostilities. They warned the violence could destabilize the entire region.
Rwanda denied involvement, accusing Congo and Burundi of violating the ceasefire by shelling villages near its border. The Rwandan foreign ministry claimed Congolese and Burundian forces had "systematically" targeted areas close to Rwanda, displacing over 1,000 civilians into its territory.
Humanitarian crisis deepens
The UN estimates 200,000 people have fled their homes since fighting resumed earlier this month, with at least 74 killed-mostly civilians-and 83 wounded. A Burundian official reported 30,000 arrivals in the past week, including 8,000 daily over the last two days.
A local rights official warned of a potential "massacre" if remaining government troops resisted fiercely. A Burundian officer told AFP the situation was "chaotic," with Uvira effectively "done for."
Peace deal in jeopardy
Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of "deliberate violations" of the peace accord, framing the conflict as a "proxy war" to undermine Congo's sovereignty over its mineral-rich east. The M23, excluded from the U.S.-brokered deal, is engaged in separate Qatari-mediated talks with Congo's government.
UN experts allege Rwanda's military exercises "de facto control" over M23 operations. The latest offensive follows M23's capture of Goma and Bukavu nearly a year ago, further destabilizing a region plagued by three decades of conflict rooted in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
