Seizure of Uvira in DRC “will be a blow” to peace negotiations

On December 17, 2025, the M23 rebel group seized Uvira, a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). According to Paul-Simon Handy, a Senior Adviser at the Policy Center for the New South, this action is expected to negatively impact ongoing peace negotiations. Handy suggests the M23's seizure of Uvira is an attempt to gain leverage in these talks. The seizure of Uvira by the M23 is a significant development in the conflict and poses a challenge to achieving a peaceful resolution.

Rebel leader Corneille Nangaa announced that his fighters, the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), will withdraw from the key city of Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo at the request of the United States. This decision follows US concerns, expressed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that the capture of Uvira violated a peace deal. The US accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, an allegation Rwanda denies, despite President Kagame signing a peace accord with DR Congo's President Tshisekedi in Washington. Nangaa stated the withdrawal is a "trust-building measure" to support the Qatar-brokered peace process. He also called for a neutral force to monitor the ceasefire. The conflict in eastern DR Congo has displaced approximately 200,000 people this month alone.