Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized the strategic eastern Congo city of Uvira, dealing a severe blow to a U.S.-brokered peace agreement signed just days earlier by the leaders of Congo and Rwanda in Washington.
The capture of Uvira, announced by the rebels on Wednesday and confirmed by Congolese authorities on Friday, consolidates M23 control over both North and South Kivu provinces. It has displaced tens of thousands, killed hundreds of civilians and heightened fears of a wider regional war involving Burundi.
U.S. officials accused Rwanda of violating the accord by supporting the offensive. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Rwanda’s actions a “clear violation” of the deal, while U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz warned that Rwanda was pushing the region “toward more instability and toward war.”
Rebels claim ‘liberation’ amid international outrage
M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka declared Uvira “fully liberated” on social media, urging residents to return home and resume normal activities. Residents described a tense calm settling over the lakeside city on Lake Tanganyika, with rebels patrolling streets amid debris from recent fighting.
The offensive began days before Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame joined President Donald Trump in Washington on Dec. 4 to sign the accords reaffirming a June peace agreement. Trump hailed the event as a “historic” achievement ending decades of conflict and opening opportunities for U.S. investments in Congo’s vast mineral resources.
But fighting escalated almost immediately. More than 400 civilians have been killed in South Kivu since the offensive intensified, according to regional officials, who reported Rwandan special forces operating in Uvira.
A joint statement from the U.S., European Union and several European governments demanded an immediate halt to M23 and Rwandan operations, along with a withdrawal of Rwandan troops from eastern Congo.
Rwanda denies backing M23 or having troops in Congo, blaming Congolese and Burundian forces for renewed violence and accusing Kinshasa of failing to honor commitments.
Strategic fallout for Burundi and the region
Uvira, with a population of about 700,000, lies just across Lake Tanganyika from Burundi’s economic hub Bujumbura. It served as Congo’s last major military stronghold in South Kivu after rebels seized provincial capital Bukavu in February and Goma in January.
The fall severed a key supply route for Burundian troops supporting Congo’s army — estimated at 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers in the region. Burundi, a longtime Congo ally amid mutual accusations with Rwanda of harboring rebels, has closed its border but allowed screened crossings for fleeing civilians.
Aid groups report at least 50,000 people fleeing into Burundi in recent days, part of over 200,000 displaced by the latest fighting. Burundi fears M23’s presence could embolden its own Tutsi-led rebel group, Red Tabara, based in South Kivu.
M23 sought to ease concerns, stating it has “no ambitions beyond” Congo’s borders and aims for regional stability.
The economic impact is acute for cash-strapped Burundi, which relied on eastern Congo for fuel and foreign currency.
How M23 overran defenses
The rebels broke through lines held by Congolese forces, allied militias and Burundian troops after seizing frontline towns north of Uvira.
Experts attribute M23’s success to superior discipline, drone warfare and an estimated influx of 3,000 to 7,000 Rwandan troops. U.N. reports describe Rwanda as exercising “de facto control” over M23 operations, with the rebel force numbering over 10,000 fighters.
The city fell with limited resistance in its center, though heavy fighting raged on approaches. Congolese troops and allies withdrew, some crossing into Burundi.
Earlier this year, M23’s rapid advances forced South African peacekeepers to retreat from Goma.
Peace process teeters on the brink
The Washington Accords obliged Rwanda to end support for armed groups and Congo to neutralize Hutu militias like the FDLR, linked to Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. They also envisioned economic cooperation in mining, hydropower and infrastructure — incentives for U.S. companies in the mineral-rich region.
But the deal excluded M23, which is in separate Qatar-mediated talks with Kinshasa. Those negotiations appear stalled.
Analysts say the timing of the Uvira assault — as leaders signed in Washington — baffled experts and appeared to undermine U.S. efforts. “It humiliates the U.S. government,” said Jason Stearns, a specialist on the region.
Congo accuses Rwanda of deliberate sabotage; Rwanda counters that Kinshasa was never committed.
Prospects for salvage dim
Stearns described the U.S.-led process as “stuck,” noting Congo is unlikely to disarm the FDLR amid ongoing combat, while economic ties seem impossible with Rwandan forces present.
Parallel Doha talks between M23 and Congo are on hold.
President Tshisekedi faces mounting domestic pressure over eastern setbacks and strained army relations. He is relying on U.S. leverage to force Rwandan withdrawal.
Human Rights Watch called the violence evidence that “merely signing deals in Washington is not enough” for civilian safety.
As sporadic gunfire echoes on Uvira’s outskirts and refugees stream across borders, the accord’s survival remains in doubt. Without swift enforcement — potentially including sanctions — experts warn it risks joining a long list of failed peace efforts in the conflict-scarred Great Lakes region.
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