M23 Fighters Enter Strategic Eastern DRC City Uvira, Triggering Mass Exodus Into Burundi

M23 fighters pushed into the strategic eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Uvira late on Tuesday, prompting thousands to flee across the border into Burundi to escape the militia's advance, military and security sources said.

Advance Into Uvira

According to military and security contacts, M23 fighters entered Uvira from the north, approaching the town's gates on the Burundi border. The offensive came despite appeals from the United States and European powers for the group to "immediately halt" its advance and for Rwanda to withdraw any forces from eastern DRC.

Large Refugee Flow

Burundian administrative officials, speaking anonymously to AFP, reported more than 8,000 arrivals per day over the past two days and an estimated 30,000 refugees crossing into Burundi in the last week. A UN refugee agency source confirmed the 30,000 figure. "These Congolese refugees have nothing — we've nothing to feed them or heal them with," one Burundian official said.

Regional Tensions and Military Movements

Burundi regards the potential fall of Uvira as an existential threat because the town sits across Lake Tanganyika from Burundi's economic capital, Bujumbura. Burundi deployed about 10,000 troops to eastern DRC in October 2023 under a military cooperation agreement; security sources say reinforcements have increased that presence to roughly 18,000 soldiers.

Chaos on the Ground

Witnesses and military sources described panic as bombardments struck hills above Uvira, a city of several hundred thousand people. Residents reported explosions and people sheltering in their homes. Retreating Congolese soldiers were seen among the civilians fleeing into Burundi; many reportedly discarded weapons and uniforms and fled by commandeered civilian vehicles or on foot. Looting was reported at dawn as the retreat unfolded.

"It's chaotic — nobody's in charge. Uvira is done for," a Burundian officer told AFP.

Diplomatic Fallout and Context

The renewed offensive undermined a Washington-brokered agreement intended to halt hostilities that was signed on December 4 by the leaders of the DRC and Rwanda. US President Donald Trump later claimed credit for the deal, saying it was among several conflicts he had helped resolve since taking office.

Rwanda denies providing direct military support to M23 but says it faces threats from Hutu militants with links to the 1994 genocide who operate in eastern DRC. The M23's latest push follows nearly a year after the group seized Goma and Bukavu, two key provincial capitals in the mineral-rich eastern DRC, a region that has experienced recurrent violence for decades.

What Comes Next

Humanitarian agencies and regional governments face urgent pressure to respond to tens of thousands of displaced people, while diplomatic efforts to contain the conflict will likely intensify as neighbouring states assess the implications of the M23 advance.