M23 Rebels Enter Uvira as US-Brokered Peace Accord Between DRC and Rwanda Fails
Mass displacement and heightened diplomatic tensions result from M23 rebels pushing into Uvira as the DRC-Rwanda peace accord falls apart.
According to Reuters on Wednesday, the largest escalation in months of the protracted conflict has occurred as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have moved into the eastern DR Congo town of Uvira, which is close to the Burundian border.
Located on the beaches of Lake Tanganyika, Uvira has served as the regional military camp and headquarters of the Kinshasa-appointed administration in South Kivu province since M23 took control of the provincial capital Bukavu in February. Gaining control of the town might enable the rebels to go past South Kivu.
The quick development follows less than a week after Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi met with President Donald Trump in Washington and reiterated their commitment to a peace agreement mediated by the United States. Rwanda and Congo have since accused one another of breaking the deal.
The foreign minister of the Congo has urged Washington to expand specific penalties against Rwanda in order to “restore the credibility” of its attempts at mediation. The resurgent fighting has been attributed to Burundi and Congolese soldiers by Rwanda, which denies backing M23.
Human Rights Watch’s Central Africa director, Lewis Mudge, stated that the violence in Uvira demonstrates that signing agreements in Washington is “not enough to ensure the safety of civilians in eastern Congo.”
The United Nations reports that numerous civilians have been killed and that over 200,000 people have left their homes in recent days.
Whether M23 had taken complete control of Uvira was still up for debate on Wednesday.
One homeowner, who requested anonymity for safety concerns, stated, “There is still shooting.” As they cleaned out areas of resistance, the resident claimed that M23 members were advising residents to remain inside.
According to a government source in the Congo, the military would refrain from using force to defend the populace. “Uvira City has been freed.”
M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said on X. However, Uvira “has not yet fallen,” according to Edouard Bizimana, the foreign minister of Burundi, who spoke to Reuters.
