The M23 rebel movement has announced that it has taken control of the city of Uvira, the temporary capital of South Kivu Province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, marking a new development in the ongoing fighting in the troubled region.
Local sources reported that M23 fighters entered the city on Wednesday morning with little resistance and advanced toward areas near the border with Burundi, while provincial authorities initially denied the city had fallen.
Although the group’s spokesperson urged residents to return home, saying the city had been “liberated,” sporadic gunfire could still be heard in parts of Uvira where pro-government militias remain present.
Security sources said several units of the Congolese army had withdrawn from the area toward other positions in Fizi territory.
Meanwhile, Burundi’s foreign minister confirmed that the border with the DR Congo remains open.
