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Wednesday, residents of Uvira reported a chaotic night during which Congolese army troops fled and gunfire was heard across the city.
The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group announced it had taken control of the strategic city of Uvira in eastern Congo on Wednesday, following a rapid offensive that began earlier this month. The group’s spokesman, Lawrence Kanyuka, made the announcement on X, in a message encouraging fleeing citizens to return to their homes.
Located on the border with Burundi, Uvira had become an important stronghold in South Kivu since the M23 seized the provincial capital, Bukavu, in February. Wednesday, residents of Uvira reported a chaotic night during which Congolese army troops fled and gunfire was heard across the city.
The M23’s latest offensive comes despite a US-brokered peace agreement signed last week in Washington by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents. US President Donald Trump hailed the deal as “historic.”
The agreement did not include the rebels, who are negotiating separately with the DRC, but it obliges Rwanda to cease its support for armed groups and work to end hostilities. In his speech to parliament on Monday, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of violating the Washington peace deal. Local UN partners report that more than 200,000 people have been displaced in South Kivu since December 2, and over 70 have been killed.