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U.S. Says M23 Has Not Fully Quit Uvira as New Clashes Erupt

Washington questions the pullback due to continued rebel presence around the city.

Congolese see hopes for peace fade as M23 and army fight on in eastern DRC
FILE PHOTO: Congolese civilians walk after returning to their homes following displacement during renewed clashes between Alliance Fleuve Congo AFC/M23 and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), in Uvira town, South Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo December 13, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
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Overview

  • M23 seized the strategic border city of Uvira on December 10, then announced a unilateral withdrawal under U.S. mediation.
  • U.S. officials say most fighters left the center yet remain positioned around Uvira, with residents reporting some in police uniforms and fresh gunfire from hills near Kalundu.
  • Local sources describe ongoing skirmishes involving pro‑government Wazalendo militias, while Congo’s army dismisses the withdrawal as a public‑relations ploy.
  • The United Nations Security Council extended MONUSCO’s mandate on December 19 as the UN reports more than 84,000 people have fled to Burundi and aid needs continue to surge in South Kivu.
  • U.S. and UN experts accuse Rwanda of backing or directing M23, a charge Kigali denies, and U.S. officials are pressing for a verifiable pullback, including proposals for a 75‑kilometer buffer from Uvira.