DR Congo blames Rwanda-backed rebels for 1,500 deaths DW 01/05/2026

"Violent fighting erupted on Saturday between pro-Kinshasa forces and M23 rebels near Uvira, a key border city connecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Burundi, according to local sources. Kelvin Bwija, a civil society coordinator in Uvira, told AFP news agency that fighting was reported in the localities of Kashombe, Lubanda, Musingwe, Katongo, and Kigongo, located about 10 km (6 miles) from Uvira."

"At a recent press conference, the Congolese army presented 15 prisoners of war seven Rwandan soldiers and eight civilians from Burundi, Uganda, and Tanzania accused of spying for M23, French broadcaster TV5 Monde reported. The FARDC says the soldiers, arrested on different front lines, are evidence of a Rwandan army presence in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, alongside M23 rebels."

"Fresh clashes, mass deaths deepen Congo crisis In mid-December, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz condemned the "scale and sophistication" of Rwanda's involvement in the eastern DRC, accusing Kigali of deploying roughly 5,0007,000 troops there. Since the beginning of December "Rwandan operations" have caused the deaths of around 1,500 civilians through the use of "bombs and kamikaze drones," according to a Congolese government statement."

Violent fighting broke out near Uvira, a strategic border city linking the DRC and Burundi, with clashes reported in Kashombe, Lubanda, Musingwe, Katongo and Kigongo about 10 km from Uvira. The Congolese army presented 15 prisoners of war, including seven Rwandan soldiers and eight civilians from Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania, accused of spying for M23. The FARDC asserted the arrests were evidence of a Rwandan army presence in North Kivu and South Kivu alongside M23 rebels. The events follow a recent United States-brokered peace deal; both sides have accused each other of jeopardizing the agreement. US officials have publicly accused Rwanda of deploying thousands of troops and of operations that the Congolese government says caused around 1,500 civilian deaths using bombs and kamikaze drones. Rwanda denies backing M23, and local reports indicate plainclothes M23 members remained in Uvira after a declared withdrawal.

Read at www.dw.com