Overview
- M23 fighters are reported to control key sites in Uvira, with patrols flushing out remaining opponents, sporadic gunfire in some neighborhoods, and widespread power cuts.
- United Nations agencies say about 200,000 people have been displaced in South Kivu in recent days, while Burundi reports taking in more than 30,000 refugees after closing border crossings.
- Residents and security sources report Congolese troops fleeing toward Burundi and Kalemie, abandoned weapons and looting during the retreat, and bodies lying in parts of the city.
- Washington and European partners urged an immediate halt to the offensive and called for Rwandan forces to withdraw, as Kinshasa pressed for sanctions and warned the offensive jeopardizes the peace process.
- The advance, launched on December 1 and following earlier M23 seizures of Goma and Bukavu, has heightened fears of regional escalation involving Rwandan and Burundian forces and disrupted aid operations, including WFP activities in South Kivu.