The Banyamulenge diaspora has appealed to the United States to urgently intervene over escalating violence, displacement and human rights abuses in Uvira, South Kivu, following the withdrawal of the AFC/M23 movement. ALSO READ: Looting, displacement reported in Uvira hours after AFC/M23 withdraw The AFC/M23 forces began withdrawing from Uvira on December 17 as a confidence-building measure to advance the Doha Peace Process and support a lasting resolution to the conflict in eastern DR Congo. ALSO READ: AFC/M23 exits Uvira, urges mediators to ensure town is protected from reprisals However, the Congolese army (FARDC) and their allied Wazalendo militias, the Rwandan genocidal militia FDLR, and Burundian troops, soon descended on the city causing renewed violence, looting and forces displacement of civilians, especially members of the Banyamulenge community. ALSO READ: Twirwaneho accuses DR Congo forces, FDLR of targeting Banyamulenge in Uvira Against this backdrop that Mahoro Peace Association, an organisation composed largely of Banyamulenge members, appealed to members of the US Congress on Wednesday, January 21, ahead of Thursday’s hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee focused on eastern DR Congo and US-mediated Washington Accords. “The [AFC/M23] withdrawal occurred without the establishment of a neutral or effective civilian-protection mechanism, leaving the Banyamulenge and Tutsi minority, historically targeted and at high risk, exposed to hostile armed groups,” Douglas Kabunda, the group's president, wrote in a policy brief to US policymakers and members of Congress. “Within hours, FARDC units and allied militias, including Wazalendo and FDLR elements, entered the city, triggering widespread displacement, property destruction, and credible reports of human rights abuses.” #DRCongo, #Uvira, #Banyamulenge In response to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Uvira, Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than 1,000 people, predominantly Banyamulenge, have been forcibly displaced, with their homes and churches destroyed - Mahoro Peace... pic.twitter.com/ckakHhUDio — Mahoro Peace Association (MPA) (@MahoroMpa) January 21, 2026 Kabunda warned that no transitional security arrangements were put in place to protect vulnerable minority communities, creating a security vacuum that enabled the rapid entry of the militia groups with a documented history of targeting Banyamulenge and Tutsi civilians. He cautioned that the situation now carries a heightened risk of mass atrocities. “The crisis now threatens to escalate into mass atrocities,” he said, adding that immediate US engagement was essential “to prevent further civilian harm and to uphold U.S commitments to atrocity prevention and regional stability.” ALSO READ: Kinshasa cuts telecoms in Uvira to hide abuses, says AFC/M23 The group cited reports of large-scale displacement from Uvira towards Kamanyola, alongside the resumption of the blockade of the Middle and High Plateaux of Minembwe, which has cut off food supplies, medical care and humanitarian access. Referring to the house committee sitting on Thursday, the association urged Washington to urgently address the protection needs of Banyamulenge civilians in Uvira and Bibogobogo. It further requested immediate humanitarian assistance for internally displaced people in Kamanyola and for vulnerable populations in Rurambo, Bijombo, Minkenke and Minembwe areas. ALSO READ: Kinshasa's drone kills six, injures 41 in Masisi, says AFC/M23 In addition, it asked the US to publicly acknowledge the heightened risk of mass atrocities facing Banyamulenge and Tutsi communities, signal concern to regional governments and international partners, support the deployment of neutral civilian-protection mechanisms, and advocate for unimpeded humanitarian access to the Middle and High Plateaux of Minembwe. The group also urged international accountability for armed actors operating in the area, warning that failure to act risks further destabilising eastern DR Congo and undermining broader regional peace efforts.
