Rebel spokesperson claims Uvira ‘fully liberated’ as offensive continues despite Trump-brokered peace deal
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels claimed to have captured a key eastern city in Democratic Republic of the Congo as they continued their march to control more of Africa’s second largest country.
In statements in English and French on Wednesday evening, a rebel spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, claimed the city of Uvira had been “fully liberated, secured and under the control of the liberation forces”.
He said on X that the rebels were committed to “protecting civilian populations and defending their rights against any aggression, regardless of its source”, urging soldiers and the Wazalendo militia allied to the Congolese military to surrender immediately. However, speaking to Reuters, Burundi’s foreign minister, Edouard Bizimana, said Uvira “has not yet fallen”
Since Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, fell to M23 in February, the lakeside city of Uvira, strategically located between DRC and Burundi, has served as the temporary headquarters of the Kinshasa-appointed government. Its capture could give rebels a clear path to expand further into other parts of the DRC, observers say.
