According to regional officials, more than 400 civilians have been killed following the recent surge in fighting as the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group continues its offensive in South Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
M23’s latest offensive, which has displaced some 200,000 civilians, comes despite a United States-mediated peace agreement signed last week by the Congolese and Rwandan Presidents in Washington, DC, which is now under severe threat of unravelling.
The accord did not include M23, which is negotiating separately with the DRC after agreeing earlier this year to a ceasefire that both sides accuse the other of violating.
However, it obliges Rwanda to halt support for armed groups and work to end hostilities.
A government Spokesperson said in a statement that more than 413 civilians have been killed by bullets, grenades, and bombs, including many women, children, and young people in localities between Uvira and Bukavu, the regional capital, the South Kivu .
The statement added that according to the information gathered, the forces present in the city are composed of Rwandan special forces and some of their foreign mercenaries, operating in clear violation of the ceasefire as well as the Washington and Doha agreements, in total disregard of the commitments made.
Residents said that the M23 consolidated control over the strategic town of Uvira in South Kivu today, Thursday, December 11, 2025.
M23 said that it had taken control of the strategic city of Uvira on yesterday afternoon, following a rapid offensive since the start of the month.
Uvira is an important port city on the northern tip of Lake Tanganyika and is directly across from neighbouring Burundi’s largest city, Bujumbura.
Not only the DRC, but the US and United Nations experts also accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which had hundreds of members in 2021.Now, according to the UN, the group has about 6,500 fighters.While Rwanda denies the allegation, it acknowledged last year that it has troops and missile systems in the eastern DRC, allegedly to safeguard its security.UN experts estimate up to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are present in the DRC.
Earlier in the week, the US Department of State said it was “deeply concerned by the ongoing violence” in the eastern DRC, with a spokesperson saying: “Rwanda, which continues to provide support to M23, must prevent further escalation.”In a statement on Wednesday, the US Embassy in Kinshasa urged M23 and Rwandan troops to cease all offensive operations and for the Rwandan forces to withdraw.
More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich east near the border with Rwanda, most prominently M23.
The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than seven million people displaced, officials say.
African Union Calls For Restraint
The African Union Commission Chair called for restraint as more than 400 civilians have been killed in recent clashes in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s South Kivu province.
In a statement, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the Commission Chair, regretted violence perpetrated against civilians, calling on all stakeholders to exercise restraint and to prioritize a political solution.
The African Union Chairperson said the recent clashes and violence “run counter to the momentum” generated by the Doha Framework Agreement between Congo and AFC/M23, as well as the US-brokered peace deal signed between Congo and Rwanda.
Youssouf reiterated the “African Union’s long-standing position that lasting peace in the Great Lakes region is predicated on full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States.”
He also condemned any attempt to establish a parallel administration in eastern Congo.
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