M23 Tightens Grip on Uvira as Refugees Speak of Neighbors Killed
.jpeg)
Refugees fleeing the renewed violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have described the deaths of neighbors and the shattering of entire communities as M23 rebels tighten their hold on the strategic city of Uvira. Accounts gathered from border points paint a grim picture of families running through the night, clutching children and little else, while the sound of shelling echoed behind them. Uvira, a key commercial and transit city near the Burundian border, fell under firm rebel control this week, deepening fears that the conflict may spin further beyond the fragile peace accord signed in Washington only days earlier. Aid workers say streams of displaced people continue to pour into already crowded shelters, each arrival adding another fragment to the wider narrative of a humanitarian crisis now stretching beyond what agencies can easily manage. Local officials warn that the situation remains fluid, with reports of casualties still emerging from neighborhoods sealed off by the fighting. For many of those escaping, the only certainty lies in the knowledge that home has slipped beyond reach, at least for now, leaving a trail of unanswered questions about what comes next for one of the region’s most contested cities.
| 2025-12-13 16:32:11