The United Nations has reported that nearly 200,000 people have fled their homes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in recent days, as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advance toward the strategic border town of Uvira, heightening regional instability just days after former U.S. President Donald Trump hosted the leaders of Rwanda and Congo to proclaim a U.S.-brokered peace deal.
In a statement released late Monday, the U.N. said at least 74 people—mostly civilians—had been killed and 83 others hospitalised amid escalating clashes between M23 fighters, Congolese troops, and local militias known as the Wazalendo.
Local officials and residents confirmed that M23 forces are pushing south toward Uvira, located on Lake Tanganyika near the Burundi border, after seizing several villages north of the town.
International Response and Rising Tensions
In Washington, the United States and nine other members of the International Contact Group (ICG) for the Great Lakes expressed “profound concern” over the renewed violence. In a joint statement on Tuesday, the group warned that the new M23 offensive “has a destabilizing potential for the whole region,” noting that the increasing use of attack and suicide drones represents a major escalation and a growing threat to civilians.
The surge in fighting comes just a week after a December 4 ceremony in Washington, where President Trump hosted Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to sign a peace pact brokered by the U.S. and Qatar.
“Today we’re succeeding where so many others have failed,” Trump said at the event, claiming his administration had “ended a 30-year conflict that led to the deaths of millions.”
‘Do Not Flee Uvira,’ Rebel Leader Urges
On Tuesday, M23 fighters pressed toward Uvira following clashes with Congolese forces. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC)—a rebel coalition that includes M23—urged fleeing soldiers not to abandon the town.
“You are Congolese… and Wazalendo soldiers. Do not flee Uvira. Wait for us to free you,” Nangaa said.
South Kivu provincial spokesperson Didier Kabi said in a video message that panic briefly spread in Uvira due to rumours of an imminent M23 incursion, though calm was later restored.
Despite the continued offensive, M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa reiterated the group’s commitment to Qatari-led peace talks in Doha, where representatives from both sides signed a framework agreement last month.
“Even if we counterattack, we said that there are no other solutions in the current crisis than the negotiating table, and we want to bring Kinshasa to the negotiating table,” Bisimwa said.
Escalation on the Ground
According to Reuters, M23 rebels have captured Luvungi, a town that had served as the front line since February, and are advancing toward Sange and Kiliba, closer to Uvira. While M23 claimed to have seized Sange, Reuters could not independently verify this. Several residents and local officials reported fleeing ahead of the rebels’ expected arrival.
Rwanda continues to deny supporting M23, though both the United Nations and Washington maintain that credible evidence of Rwandan involvement exists. Prior to the latest escalation, the conflict had already displaced more than 1.2 million people.
The U.S. State Department expressed strong concern late Monday, stating:
“Rwanda, which continues to provide support to M23, must prevent further escalation,” a spokesperson said.
The ICG urged M23 and Rwandan forces to halt offensive operations, called for Rwanda’s withdrawal from eastern Congo, and pressed M23 to return to positions outlined in the July 19 Doha Declaration. It also appealed for renewed adherence to the December 4 accords signed in Washington.
Congo’s Response and U.S. Position
In a speech to lawmakers on Monday, President Felix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of violating the commitments it made during the Washington peace ceremony.
A senior Trump administration official told reporters that Washington is “closely monitoring the situation,” adding:
“The president has made clear to both sides that implementation is what he will judge, and as he stated, he is expecting immediate results.”
With thousands displaced and front lines shifting rapidly, the renewed fighting threatens to unravel the fragile peace efforts in one of Africa’s most volatile regions.
