Refugees fleeing renewed fighting in eastern DRC report neighbours killed and families separated as M23 consolidated control of Uvira despite a recent US-brokered peace deal. Al Jazeera documented a strong rebel presence and Red Cross teams recovering bodies, while survivors described bombardments and missing relatives. Officials say more than 413 civilians have died and roughly 200,000 people have been displaced; the UN warns the violence risks widening into a regional conflagration.
M23 Consolidates Control Of Uvira; Refugees Describe Death, Family Separation
Residents of Uvira gather at a local market on December 12, days after M23 rebels captured the city [AFP]
Congolese refugees have recounted scenes of death, family separation and desperate flight after renewed fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the M23 rebel group has consolidated control of the strategic lakeside city of Uvira despite a recent US-brokered peace agreement.
What Happened
M23 fighters established firm control over Uvira, a key port on the northern shore of Lake Tanganyika in South Kivu province, after seizing parts of the city. Al Jazeera — the first international broadcaster to enter Uvira since the takeover — reported residents returning cautiously while a heavy rebel presence remained.
Voices From Refugees
Survivors at Rwanda’s Nyarushishi refugee camp described harrowing scenes. Akilimali Mirindi said she fled with only three of her ten children after bombs destroyed her home near the border: “I don’t know what happened to the other seven, or their father.” Other refugees described corpses along escape routes and families torn apart by sudden bombardment.
“Bombs were raining down on us from different directions,” said Thomas Mutabazi, 67, describing the chaos that forced families to abandon homes and fields.
Casualties, Displacement And Regional Impact
Regional officials report more than 413 civilians killed since fighting escalated in early December and estimate that about 200,000 people have been displaced by the recent offensive. The United Nations warns that the conflict has already uprooted more than seven million people across eastern DRC and that the current escalation raises the risk of a broader regional conflagration.
Allegations And International Response
Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of directly supporting M23 — including deploying special forces and mercenaries — allegations Rwanda denies. The US embassy in Kinshasa called for Rwandan forces to withdraw, while Congolese leaders urged stronger international measures. The December 4 Washington agreement required Rwanda to cease backing armed groups, though M23 was not a direct signatory and has been involved in separate Qatar-mediated talks with Kinshasa.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the escalation “increases the risk of a broader regional conflagration” and urged an immediate halt to hostilities.
On the Ground
Al Jazeera correspondent Alain Uaykani reported scenes of a fragile calm in Uvira, with Red Cross teams collecting bodies and conducting roadside burials, destroyed military vehicles, and the remains of those killed along the road to the city. M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka declared Uvira “fully liberated” and urged residents to return, even as allegations of continued fighting persist.
The humanitarian situation remains precarious: thousands are displaced, communication is fractured for many families, and international mediators warn that without de-escalation, the conflict could further destabilize the Great Lakes region.
