The AFC/M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo entered the strategic city of Uvira on Tuesday, following days of fighting that started in the beginning of December. Uvira is the second largest city in South Kivu province, whose capital Bukavu has been under rebel control for 10 months. ALSO READ: AFC/M23 rebels capture town 20km from Uvira Reports said on Tuesday the AFC/M23 had captured the city that has been the main government stronghold since February, when Bukavu fell into the hands of the rebels. However, the rebel movement led by DR Congo's former election chief Corneille Nangaa did not claim capture of the city on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Located some 80 kilometres south of Bukavu, Uvira will be the third city to fall into rebel control. Goma, the capital of North Kivu, was captured in late January, followed by Bukavu in mid-February. The government coalition that includes Burundian troops, FDLR, local militia groups known as Wazalendo and foreign mercenaries have guarded the city for months. ALSO READ: Burundian, Congolese soldiers withdraw to Bujumbura amid M23 rebel advance - reports In the recent fighting, the Burundian army led the government coalition, launching air attacks from Burundi territory in the battle for Kamanyola, a town that saw thousands displaced and others flee to Rwanda last week. After retaining control of Kamanyola on Saturday, the AFC/M23 marched south towards Uvira capturing town after town in the Ruzizi plain. Congolese soldiers and their allied Burundian troops and the Wazalendo fighters withdrew from the frontline as the rebels advanced, with some crossing into Bujumbura. The Congolese army coalition had been accused of imposing a blockade on parts of South Kivu, such as Minembwe, where the Banyamulenge community lives. The AFC/M23 has on multiple occasions demanded the withdrawal of Burundian troops from DR Congo, saying the conflict was purely Congolese. Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday in Goma, Nangaa reiterated this position, saying, The Burundian government has taken on the heavy responsibility of direct involvement in an unjustifiable war against our people. Why are our Burundian brothers inserting themselves into a conflict that does not belong to them? Nangaa said his movement would soon restore order in Uvira and stop the harassment by the government coalition. After the AFC/M23 captured Bukavu and appointed its governor, the Kinshasa-appointed provincial government relocated to Uvira. The Congolese government and the rebels had multiple rounds of peace talks since April. The two signed have signed a number of agreements under the Qatar-mediated talks, including a ceasefire, but the situation on the ground has remained volatile.
