Fear and silence grip DR Congo's Uvira as M23 rebels seize control

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(13 Dec 2025) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Luvungi, DR Congo – 13 December 2025 1. Mid of a shelter destroyed by bomb 2. Mid of shells abandoned at the site of an attack on a Congolese army truck 3. Various of destroyed Congolese army truck 4. SOUNDBITE (Swahili) Samuel Masikitiko, Luvungi resident: "There were many deaths. I personally saw a motorcycle driver who was in front of me in Luberizi. A bomb fell in front of him as people were fleeing, and people died with him. Almost nine people died in Sange too. People died as a result of bombs that we didn't know whether they came from the enemy (M23 rebels) or the FARDC (Congolese army)." 5. Various of shells ASSOCIATED PRESS Uvira, DR Congo – 13 December 2025 6. Wide of Uvira’s main roundabout 7. Mid of local resident Esther Maria 8. SOUNDBITE (Swahili) Esther Maria, Uvira: resident: "Some people left town, but we stayed. Even though things aren't back to normal yet, we haven't resumed our usual activities because there's no money coming in. We spent two days at home, nobody was working, but we're in good health." 9. Various of Uvira residents in the streets 10. SOUNDBITE (Swahili) Alvin Safari, Uvira resident: "Many people were afraid. There was a lot of gunfire. Some fled, others died, but we thank God that we are alive." ASSOCIATED PRESS Bwegera, DR Congo – 13 December 2025 11. Various of Bwegera residents returning to their village STORYLINE: Traces of war line the road to Uvira, the site of the latest clashes between M23 rebels and the Congolese army. Along the route, villagers describe the violence they witnessed. Samuel Masikitiko, a resident of Luvungi, about 70 kilometers from Uvira, recalled scenes of people killed as they tried to flee. “There were many deaths. I personally saw a motorcycle driver who was in front of me in Luberizi. A bomb fell in front of him as people were fleeing, and people died with him. Almost nine people died in Sange too. People died as a result of bombs that we didn’t know whether they came from the enemy (M23 rebels) or the FARDC (Congolese army)," said Masikitiko. The Associated Press has gained rare access to Uvira, Congo’s last major government stronghold in South Kivu after the provincial capital, Bukavu, fell to the rebels in February. The capture of Uvira allows M23 to consolidate a broad corridor of influence across eastern Congo. A climate of fear hangs over the strategic city days after it fell to the Rwanda-backed M23 group, as fighting in the region escalated despite a U.S.-mediated peace deal. On Saturday, Uvira remained largely deserted. Streets were silent, with no traffic apart from military jeeps patrolling the city. Banks were closed and most residents had not returned to work. Only a few people ventured out during the day, and none after sunset, as armed M23 fighters patrolled the streets. M23 said it had taken control of Uvira earlier this week, following a rapid offensive since the start of the month. Along with the more than 400 killed, about 200,000 have been displaced, regional officials say. The rebels’ latest offensive comes despite a U.S.-mediated peace agreement signed last week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington. The accord didn’t include the rebel group, which is negotiating separately with Congo and agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that both sides accuse the other of violating. However, it obliges Rwanda to halt support for armed groups like M23 and work to end hostilities. =========================================================== Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/aec4675bdc654d14843a92032fed19a4