Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured the strategic lakeside city of Uvira in South Kivu province this week, killing more than 400 civilians and forcing 200,000 people to flee despite a fresh U.S.-brokered peace deal.
The offensive, which escalated in early December, shattered hopes raised by the Washington Accords signed on December 4 between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
M23 fighters stormed Uvira on Wednesday, consolidating control by Thursday as Congolese troops and allied militias retreated.
Residents reported heavy gunfire and shelling, while refugees described harrowing escapes amid chaos and family separations.
Regional officials in South Kivu tallied at least 413 civilian deaths from bullets, grenades, and bombs, including many women and children.
Meanwhile, the United Nations warned that the surge has uprooted over 200,000 people in recent days, exacerbating one of the world’s largest displacement crises—with more than 7 million already internally displaced across eastern Congo.
However, the rebels’ advance threatens to unravel the fragile diplomacy.
The U.S expressed deep disappointment, accusing Rwanda of directing M23 operations and deploying thousands of troops in violation of the accord.
Washington and UN experts maintain that Kigali provides critical support to the Tutsi-led group, though Rwanda denies the claims and blames Congolese forces for provocations.
Furthermore, the capture of Uvira—South Kivu’s interim government headquarters after Bukavu fell earlier this year—gives M23 control over vital trade routes and borders Burundi, raising fears of broader regional spillover.
Aid groups report collapsing health services, risks of disease outbreaks in overcrowded sites, and severed access to food for thousands.
As sporadic clashes continue, civilians bear the brunt of a conflict rooted in ethnic tensions, mineral wealth, and longstanding rivalries.
Yet, international pressure mounts: The UN Security Council has condemned the offensive, and calls grow for sanctions and renewed talks to halt the violence before it engulfs the Great Lakes region.
