Refugees describe neighbours killed as M23 cements control of key DRC city

Al JazeeraEN 4 min read 100% complete by Faisal AliDecember 12, 2025 at 03:36 PM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

In December 2025, M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, seized the strategic city of Uvira in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), despite a recent US-brokered peace agreement. The capture of Uvira, a key lakeside city in South Kivu province, has led to harrowing accounts from Congolese refugees fleeing the violence. Displaced families report deaths and separation, with over 400 civilians killed and 200,000 displaced since early December. The fighting has escalated despite the peace accord, threatening to draw neighboring Burundi deeper into the conflict. Uvira serves as South Kivu's interim government headquarters after the rebels seized the provincial capital in February.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Uvira ×340% United States ×250% Donald Trump ×260% Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ×470% M23 ×680%

Keywords

m23 rebels 100% drc 90% refugees 80% uvira 80% conflict 70% displaced families 60% peace agreement 60% violence 50% south kivu 50% humanitarian crisis 40%