Overview
- Congo’s government confirmed the fall of Uvira, a strategic Lake Tanganyika port and last major foothold in South Kivu after Bukavu’s capture in February.
- The UN reported a dramatic surge in displacement, with OCHA estimating more than 500,000 people uprooted in just over a week and hospitals in Uvira struggling to treat the wounded.
- At the UN Security Council, the United States accused Rwanda of providing command support and fighting alongside M23 with roughly 5,000–7,000 troops, and signaled it would hold spoilers accountable.
- Rwanda rejected the allegations and President Paul Kagame blamed Burundi for fueling the crisis, while Burundian officials denied seeking war, reported cross-border shelling, and said they would defend their territory.
- UN officials warned of a potential regional conflagration as MONUSCO and aid operations faced movement and resource constraints, refugees described killings and bombardments, and Kinshasa urged sanctions against Kigali despite the December 4 Washington peace accord.