Rebel fighters have entered Uvira, the last major city in government hands in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in a fresh escalation of violence that has sent thousands fleeing across the border into Burundi, residents and local media say.
According to the BBC, heavy gunfire and shelling were heard across the city on Tuesday, with residents describing scenes of panic as families attempted to flee the advancing forces. United Nations-backed Radio Okapi also reported that rebel fighters were visible on major streets and around strategic points in the city.
The M23 rebel group, long accused of receiving support from Rwanda, said it had “liberated” Uvira, though the extent of its control remains unclear. The DRC government has yet to release an official statement on the status of the city.
Peace deal overshadowed by renewed fighting
The advance comes less than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump brokered a peace agreement between DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, aiming to halt years of cross-border tensions and end the conflict involving more than 120 armed groups operating in eastern DRC.
The deal, agreed during a high-level summit in Washington, sought to secure a ceasefire, open humanitarian corridors, and address long-standing disputes over security and the exploitation of mineral resources issues that have fuelled instability in the region for decades.
However, clashes intensified both before and after the summit. The Congolese army accused M23 of attempting to “sabotage” the peace process, while the rebel group claimed the army launched new attacks in violation of the ceasefire.
A region trapped between conflict and minerals
Eastern DRC is one of Africa’s most mineral-rich regions, home to vast reserves of cobalt, gold, coltan, and other critical minerals essential to global technology supply chains. Control over these resources has long driven conflict, with armed groups vying for territory and revenue.
The M23 rebellion, first formed by mutinous soldiers nearly two decades ago, has repeatedly resurfaced despite previous peace deals. UN investigators and several Western governments have accused Rwanda of supporting the movement, allegations Kigali denies.
The latest fighting has forced thousands to flee toward Burundi, adding to the more than seven million people already displaced across the DRC, one of the world’s largest and most underfunded humanitarian crises.
Aid agencies warn that continued conflict in towns like Uvira, a key commercial hub near Lake Tanganyika, could severely disrupt supply routes and worsen food insecurity across the region.
As diplomatic efforts falter and violence escalates, eastern Congo once again faces uncertainty, caught between fragile political agreements and the entrenched interests of armed groups that continue to shape life in the region.
