Intensifying Conflict in DR Congo: M23 Rebels Move Towards Uvira Amid Peace Deal Challenges

Sat Jan 17 2026 15:31:23 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Despite a recently brokered peace deal between the leaders of DR Congo and Rwanda, M23 rebels are advancing towards the city of Uvira, prompting a humanitarian crisis and mass evacuations.

Sporadic gunfire and explosions have reignited violence in eastern DR Congo as M23 rebels advance towards Uvira, despite a peace deal brokered by US President Donald Trump. The conflict has led to over 200,000 residents fleeing their homes. Local authorities deny reports of rebel control in the city, while international actors express concern over Rwanda's alleged support for the rebels. The situation remains volatile as fears of further violence loom.

Sporadic gunfire and explosions have been reported as M23 rebels advance towards a key city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in an offensive that has forced thousands to flee across the border into Burundi.

Residents and military sources said soldiers were fleeing the assault on Uvira, the last government-held city in the mineral-rich region.

US President Donald Trump brokered a peace deal last week between DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda's Paul Kagame to end the long-running conflict.

Shops and schools have closed, with terrified residents staying indoors amid fears that rebels had taken control of some government buildings.

But South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi dismissed reports that the rebels were in the city as completely unfounded rumours.

Residents told local media that the rebels were patrolling central Uvira under the cover of darkness on Tuesday night, while the city remained deserted early on Wednesday.

A local rights official told AP news agency that there was a risk of a massacre if the remaining soldiers mounted strong resistance.

Military and security sources said the rebel fighters advanced from the north, near the Burundian border. In an interview with UN-backed Radio Okapi, Purusi denied Uvira had fallen to the M23, saying the city remained under the control of government forces.

The US, European Union, and eight European nations have accused Rwanda of supporting the rebel offensive, and have called for an immediate halt to the fighting.

Rwanda has denied any involvement in the fighting, accusing DR Congo's government and its ally, Burundi, of violating a ceasefire. UN experts say Rwanda's army is in de facto control of M23 operations.

About 200,000 people have fled their homes in eastern DR Congo since the latest round of fighting started early this month. It said at least 74 people had been killed, mostly civilians, and 83 admitted to hospital with wounds.

The M23 is not part of the US-brokered peace deal, and is in separate talks with DR Congo's government in mediation efforts led by Qatar. The latest offensive comes nearly a year after the M23 rebels seized control of Goma and Bukavu, the other two main cities in eastern DR Congo.

In a national address on Monday, Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of deliberate violations of the peace accord. This is a proxy war aimed at challenging our sovereignty over a highly strategic area, rich in critical minerals and economic potential that is crucial to the future of our nation, Tshisekedi said.

For its part, Rwanda accused the armies of DR Congo and Burundi of bombing villages near its border, forcing more than 1,000 civilians to flee into its territory.

Eastern DR Congo has been wracked by conflict for more than 30 years, since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Several peace deals going back to the 1990s have collapsed. Numerous armed groups have competed with the central authorities for power and control of the potential fortune in this vast nation.