2025 Uvira Offensive

The 2025 Uvira offensive is an ongoing military operation conducted by March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), centered around their advance toward Uvira located at the northern end of Lake Tanganyika. The military campaign followed the rebels' capture of Bukavu, the provincial capital of South Kivu, and occurred concurrently with advances towards Butembo in the neighboring North Kivu province.

Background

Uvira, situated along Lake Tanganyika approximately 25 kilometers from Bujumbura, Burundi, serves as South Kivu's second-largest urban center. The city's strategic location near the Burundian border makes it a crucial point for regional security and refugee movements. Prior to the clashes, the city had received an influx of displaced officials and military personnel following the March 23 Movement (M23)'s capture of Bukavu. The withdrawal of leadership and security forces led to widespread disorder and armed confrontations with allied militia groups in Bukavu.

Burundi reported the arrival of approximately 10,000 refugees between February 14–16, 2025. These displaced persons were initially accommodated in temporary facilities within Burundi's Cibitoke and Bubanza provinces, pending relocation away from the border region in accordance with Burundian regulations. Burundian authorities implemented measures to distinguish between civilian refugees and military personnel among the arrivals.

Offensive

Strategic withdrawal from Bukavu and FARDC–Wazalendo clashes

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) strategically withdrew from Bukavu starting on February 14, 2025, aiming to establish defensive positions outside the city while minimizing civilian casualties. However, this plan faced opposition from allied militia groups, particularly the Wazalendo, who advocated for maintaining defensive positions within the city. The withdrawal precipitated violent confrontations between retreating FARDC forces and Wazalendo militia groups along the N5 highway south of Bukavu. Senior military sources reported widespread demoralization among troops following repeated operational failures and territorial losses. Attempts to establish defensive positions were further complicated by instances of soldiers abandoning their positions and engaging in looting during the strategic withdrawal.

From February 15–17, 2025, during the withdrawal and during M23 advances, armed confrontations erupted between FARDC forces and Wazalendo fighters, resulting in twelve fatalities among both military personnel and civilians. The conflict reportedly originated from the Wazalendo's attempt to acquire military equipment from FARDC soldiers who had retreated from Bukavu. When FARDC refused to relinquish their armaments, the situation escalated into armed violence.

Some sources claimed that on February 17, FARDC senior officers in the region, including the 3rd Defense Region commander Lt. Gen. Pacifique Masunzu, 33rd Military Region commander Maj. Gen. Robert Yav Avul Ngola, and Sokola II operation commander in North and South Kivu, Brig. Gen. Andre Ehonza Uketi, left the Bukavu area and made their way to Uvira. The governor of South Kivu, Jean-Jacques Purusi, and his vice governor, were in Uvira when the fighting between FARDC and Wazalendo broke out, and crossed the border into Burundi. This created a disorganized command structure for the Congolese military in the days after the M23 capture of Bukavu.

These clashes, occurring in settlements including Kamanyola, Sange, and Uvira, emerged when Wazalendo fighters attempted to prevent FARDC personnel from retreating or deserting. The situation was exacerbated by incidents of military equipment being seized and redistributed by militia forces.

M23 advance and FARDC counterattack

By February 18, M23 forces secured Kamanyola, a strategic location situated 25 kilometers south of Bukavu, after overwhelming the disorganized FARDC defensive positions. The capture of Kamanyola established a launching point for potential further advancement toward Uvira, located 75 kilometers to the south. Social media documentation appeared to show some communities, particularly in the Panzi region south of Bukavu, welcoming advancing M23 forces.

On February 19, Médecins Sans Frontières reported that combat occurred along stretches of the N5 highway from Bukavu to Uvira, leading to dozens of injuries. Many FARDC soldiers took control of boats so they could flee across Lake Tanganyika. Guns were fired while citizens tried to get onto the boats. A prison in Uvira was broken into, freeing 228 FARDC soldiers who had been detained for desertion.

During M23 forces' advances, Burundi initiated the withdrawal of its National Defence Force (FDNB) from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, ending a long-term military presence in the region. Multiple military vehicles crossed back into Burundi from South Kivu, though some troops remained temporarily stationed near the border region.

The Minembwe village was captured by an M23-aligned rebel group, the Twirwaneho, on February 21 after defeating government troops, and also caused the Burundian National Defence Force troops in the village to withdraw. The leader of the Twirwaneho, which describes itself is a Banyamulenge self-defense organization, was killed on February 19 in a FARDC drone strike. According to the UN, Twirwaneho and the Burundian group RED-Tabara became "proxies" of M23 and the Congo River Alliance in South Kivu. On February 24 the military governor of South Kivu arrived in Uvira with 600 FARDC soldiers and police officers, having left Bukavu when it fell to M23. On February 25, the FARDC launched an attack on the Twirwaneho rebels in an effort to retake Minembwe and its airstrip. The military claimed to have killed four rebel commanders in a drone strike. On the same day, the M23-aligned group captured the town of Mikenge to the north. It was reported on February 26 that Burundian troops in the DRC were joined by reinforcements from Burundi and advanced north with Congolese government forces along the RN5 road, and were within six miles of the M23 positions around Luvungi.

As of March 1, M23 and groups aligned with it were present in six of the eight territories of South Kivu. M23 is also supported in the province by Burundian fighters from the RED-Tabara group. Combat involving them and Congolese government forces, the Wazalendo militias and the FARDC, was reported in the Walungu Territory and the Mwenga Territory. In the latter, fighting continued outside of Mikenge town. On March 3, the South Kivu provincial government was officially reestablished in Uvira by vice-governor Jean-Jacques Elakano. The governor, Purusi, had gone to Kinshasa, where he was received by President Félix Tshisekedi. On that same day pro-Congolese government militias began an advance on the town of Mikenge, held by AFC/M23-aligned Twirwaneho and Burundian RED-Tabara rebels, and they captured it on March 5. On March 10, the FARDC and its allied militias launched ground and air attacks, including with aircraft from the Congolese Air Force, against M23 positions around Minembwe.

On March 12, M23 captured at least six villages in the Walungu Territory and the Uvira Territory after advancing about south towards Uvira. The group's movement was to the west of National Road 5, where the FARDC and Burundian FDNB troops have taken positions. This brings M23 forces to about away from the city of Uvira. The captured villages included Rurambo and Kigarama in the Bafuliiru Chiefdom, where a Mai-Mai Wazalendo militia group, Mai-Mai Rushaba, switched sides from the government to M23. There were reports of fighting between them and pro-government Wazalendo.

Responses

Domestic

Armed clashes between FARDC and Wazalendo forces led to a widespread shutdown of civilian activities in Uvira. Educational institutions and commercial establishments ceased operations, while vehicular and pedestrian movement effectively came to standstill. Local governance structures were significantly impacted, with reports indicating that administrative leadership had relocated to either Kalemie or Bujumbura. A general hospital in Uviru reported receiving dozens of injuries from troops and civilians.

President Félix Tshisekedi, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, criticized the international community's limited response to Rwanda's alleged involvement, and accused former president Joseph Kabila of supporting opposing forces.

Humanitarian crisis

Escalation of violence and looting on February 15 resulted in at least eighteen direct fatalities, and triggered a mass exodus of local populations. The conflict particularly affected communities situated between Kamanyola and Sange, where an estimated 70 percent of the village populations abandoned their homes. Roughly 25,000 internally displaced persons had already sought refuge in Uvira prior to the February escalations, with the actual number likely exceeding official estimates, as security conditions prevented comprehensive assessments. Several fatalities occurred during attempted crossings of the Ruzizi River, including several children who drowned while attempting to reach safety in Burundi. By February 18, between 10,000 and 15,000 Congolese civilians fled to Burundi, leading to severe strain on Burundian transit facilities and resources.

Multiple humanitarian aid organizations were forced to evacuate their personnel.

Widespread civil disorder arose across Uvira. By February 19, At least thirty fatalities were reported in one morgue, along with 100 hospitalizations. Several instances of looting and volleys of gunfire were also reported.

International

The offensive prompted international diplomatic reactions. On February 18, Foreign Office of the United Kingdom summoned Rwanda's ambassador in London. The office issued a statement condemning the territorial gains as violations of Congolese sovereignty and demanding the withdrawal of Rwandan Defence Force personnel from Congolese territory. On the same day, the United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk accused M23 of summarily killing children, attacking hospitals, and raiding and warehouses containing humanitarian aid. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged against further regional escalation.

The African Union expressed concern about potential "balkanization" of the DRC, and called for M23's immediate withdrawal. France's Foreign Ministry demanded the withdrawal of both M23 and Rwandan forces, threatening additional multilateral sanctions against both parties.

References

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M23 campaign (2022–present)
2025 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
February 2025 in Africa
Battles in 2025
Battles involving the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Battles involving Rwanda
Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda military relations
Uvira
2020s in South Kivu