In a statement released on Wednesday, December 10, AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka described the capture of the city as a liberation and urged civilians who had fled the fighting to return, assuring them that the rebel forces are present to protect them.
'For more than three months, we have denounced the spread of hate speech, targeted attacks, and massacres in areas previously liberated by the coalition forces of the Kinshasa regime and their ally, Burundi. Today, the threat has been removed, and Uvira is now liberated,' Kanyuka said.
The capture of Uvira marks the rebels' deepest advance in South Kivu since February and follows a series of territorial gains earlier this year, including the takeover of Goma in January and Bukavu in mid-February. Uvira, the second-largest city in South Kivu, had been a key government stronghold on the southern axis.
At a press conference in Goma yesterday, the group accused the Congolese government of committing more than 30 ceasefire violations since July 2025, alleging that the worsening security situation stems from what it described as a 'deliberate political strategy' by Kinshasa.
AFC/M23 political coordinator Corneille Nangaa condemned daily confrontations driven by discriminatory notions of 'natives' and 'non-natives,' accusing government forces of targeting Kinyarwanda-speaking communities.
The rebel coalition also accused Burundi of direct military involvement in the conflict and said government forces were backed by a mix of regional militias and foreign mercenaries. Nangaa claimed that recent battles, including around Kamanyola, saw Burundian troops taking a leading role, including airstrikes launched from within Burundi.
The group denounced the ongoing blockade of Minembwe, which has left thousands of residents without essential supplies, and cited multiple attacks on civilians, including a December 6 incident that killed four women attempting to bypass the blockade. Thousands of civilians have fled into Rwanda amid the fighting.
Despite the accusations and ongoing conflict, AFC/M23 reiterated its commitment to civilian protection, peace, and dialogue.
'Despite the severity of the situation, the M23/AFCM remains committed to peace, to protecting civilians, to respecting international obligations, and to engaging in sincere dialogue,' Nangaa said.
The fall of Uvira is a major setback for Kinshasa in its struggle to regain control of South Kivu, where government forces have been attempting to reclaim large territories lost to the rebel forces through offensives and dialogue in Doha, Qatar.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/afc-m23-confirms-capture-of-uvira-city
