The United States and other members of the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes Region (ICG) have raised alarm over the recent capture of Uvira by the March 23 Movement (M23) in South Kivu, describing the offensive as a dangerous escalation that threatens the stability of the entire Great Lakes region.
In a statement released on December 9, 2025, the ICG—which includes the US, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland and the European Union—and the new offensive by the March 23 Movement (M23) around Uvira, near Burundi.
The statement also highlighted the “increased use of attack drones and suicide drones in the conflict,” noting that the development represents a “significant escalation of the fighting and poses a serious risk to civilian populations.”
The ICG urged both the M23 and the Rwandan Defence Forces (FDR) to halt offensive operations immediately.
“We call on the FDR to withdraw from eastern DR Congo, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2773, and the M23 to respect the commitments it made under the Declaration of Principles signed in Doha on July 19, 2025,” the statement read.
The group stressed the importance of civilian protection, full respect for DRC’s territorial integrity, and adherence to recent agreements, including the Washington Accords signed on December 4, 2025.
The ICG called on all parties to “refrain from provocative or escalating rhetoric and actions that seriously endanger civilian populations and risk irreparably jeopardising the significant progress achieved through the framework agreement signed in Doha on 15 November 2025 by DR Congo government and the M23.”
The statement comes after the M23 captured the strategic city of Uvira on December 10, a key government stronghold near the Burundi border.
The advance marks the third major city seized by M23, following Goma and Bukavu.
AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said in a statement: “Today, the threat has been lifted, and we confirm that the city of Uvira is now liberated.
"The AFC/M23 informs the public that, for more than three months, it has been denouncing the spread of hate speech, attacks targeting our compatriots because of their appearance, as well as massacres committed in areas controlled by the coalition forces of the Kinshasa regime and their ally, Burundi.”
Videos circulating on social media showed M23 fighters patrolling the streets of Uvira, while Congolese and allied forces reportedly withdrew from the city and surrounding areas.
However, Rwanda has denied involvement in the offensive, rejecting accusations that it is backing M23. Kigali said the escalation of violence is primarily due to the Congolese and Burundian armies, supported by militias, conducting attacks on civilian populations along the Rwandan border.
In a December 10 statement, Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “Rwanda condemns the Congolese Army (FARDC) and the Burundian Army (FDNB), together with its coalition of the DRC-backed FDLR genocidal militias, Wazalendo and foreign mercenaries, and have been systematically bombing civilian villages close to the Rwandan border, using fighter jets and attack drones, and which the AFC/M23 has said it has been forced to counter.”
Rwanda also highlighted the humanitarian impact of these operations, reporting that over 1,000 Congolese citizens fled across the border to Rwanda in recent days.
Kigali accused Kinshasa of refusing to observe the ceasefire and warned that deliberate violations of agreements threaten regional security and civilian welfare.
The escalation comes barely a week after the signing of the Washington Accords at the White House, raising serious doubts about the agreement’s enforceability.
The M23, now controlling a roughly 400-kilometer frontline stretching from Bunagana near Uganda to Bukavu and Uvira on Lake Tanganyika, has established a parallel governance structure in eastern DR CVongoC.
The Congolese government, meanwhile, continues to demand a full withdrawal of rebel forces and accuses Rwanda of expansionist ambitions.
The ICG stressed that all parties must reaffirm their commitment to the ceasefire and ensure “full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access so that life-saving assistance can reach those in need.”
Failure to comply, the statement warned, could imperil the fragile progress made through international mediation in the Great Lakes region.
As the situation in South Kivu intensifies, the international community faces mounting pressure to enforce diplomatic agreements and prevent further civilian suffering in one of Africa’s most volatile regions.