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More than 400 civilians person been killed since the Rwanda-backed M23 equipped radical escalated its violative successful the South Kivu state successful eastbound Congo, determination officials said, adding that Rwandan peculiar forces were successful the strategical metropolis of Uvira.
Editorial | Deal without peace: On the U.S. and Congo-Rwanda accord
M23's latest violative comes contempt a US-mediated bid statement signed past week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents successful Washington. The accord did not see the rebel group, which is negotiating separately with Congo and agreed earlier this twelvemonth to a ceasefire that some sides impeach the different of violating. However, it obliges Rwanda to halt enactment for equipped groups and enactment to extremity hostilities.
"More than 413 civilians (have been) killed by bullets, grenades, and bombs, including galore women, children, and young people" successful localities betwixt Uvira and Bukavu, the determination capital, the South Kivu authorities spokesperson said successful a connection precocious Wednesday.
"According to the accusation gathered, the forces contiguous successful the metropolis are composed of Rwandan peculiar forces and immoderate of their overseas mercenaries, operating successful wide usurpation of the ceasefire arsenic good arsenic the Washington and Doha agreements, successful full disregard of the commitments made," the connection added.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for the "immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities." Guterres "is profoundly alarmed by the escalation successful unit successful South Kivu and its humanitarian consequences," said Farhan Haq, lawman spokesperson for the secretary-general.
Conflict spreads M23 said it had taken power of the strategical metropolis of Uvira successful eastbound Congo connected Wednesday afternoon, pursuing a accelerated violative since the commencement of the month. Uvira is an important larboard metropolis connected the bluish extremity of Lake Tanganyika and is straight crossed from neighbouring Burundi's largest city, Bujumbura.
The announcement by M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, posted connected X, encouraged citizens who fled to instrumentality to their homes.
Congo, the US and UN experts impeach Rwanda of backing M23, which had hundreds of members successful 2021. Now, according to the UN, the radical has astir 6,500 fighters.
While Rwanda denies that claim, it acknowledged past twelvemonth that it has troops and rocket systems successful eastbound Congo, allegedly to safeguard its security. UN experts estimation determination are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces successful Congo.
Burundian Foreign Minister Edouard Bizimana, successful an interrogation with French authorities media RFI connected Wednesday, urged the US to unit Rwandan President Paul Kagame to guarantee the implementation of the statement signed successful the US.
"M23 without Kagame, without Rwanda, is nothing," helium said.
Bizimana said the seizure of Uvira poses a menace to the economical capital, Bujumbura.
"We person registered much than 30,000 refugees and asylum-seekers successful the past 3 days … Uvira and Bujumbura are coastal cities. What threatens Uvira besides threatens Bujumbura." On Thursday, Kanyuka said connected X that "some Burundian forces person returned to their nationalist territory, portion others person entrenched themselves successful the highlands," referring to the hills of Uvira and Mininebwe successful South Kivu.
"Since aboriginal Thursday morning, December 11, 2025, these elements entrenched successful the highlands person resumed, with unacceptable brutality, their run of extermination against our Tutsi Banyamulenge compatriots successful Minembwe, indiscriminately launching bombs and utilizing dense artillery that is sidesplitting guiltless civilians, including women and children," helium wrote.
The chairperson of the African Union, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, connected Thursday said helium "deeply regrets these clashes and the unit perpetrated against civilian populations, which tally antagonistic to the momentum generated by the Doha Framework Agreement" betwixt congo and AFC/M23, "as good arsenic the Washington DC Agreement betwixt the DRC and Rwanda." He besides called connected each parties "to workout restraint and to prioritise a governmental solution." Struggle for mineral-rich territory In a connection connected Wednesday, the US Embassy successful Kinshasa urged M23 and Rwandan troops to cease each violative operations and for the Rwandan Defense Forces to retreat to Rwanda.
The Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs blamed the Congolese equipped forces for the caller ceasefire violations successful a connection connected X connected Wednesday.
"The DRC has openly stated that it would not observe immoderate ceasefire, and was warring to recapture territories mislaid to AFC/M23, adjacent arsenic the bid process unfolded," it said.
More than 100 equipped groups are vying for a foothold successful mineral-rich eastbound Congo adjacent the borderline with Rwanda, astir prominently M23. The struggle has created 1 of the world's astir important humanitarian crises, with much than 7 cardinal radical displaced, according to the UN bureau for refugees.
Local UN partners study that much than 2,00,000 radical person been displaced crossed the state since December 2, with much than 70 killed. Civilians besides person crossed into Burundi, and determination person been reports of shells falling successful the municipality of Rugombo, connected the Burundian broadside of the border, raising concerns astir the struggle spilling implicit into Burundian territory. (AP) RUK RUK
