Tens of thousands flee DR Congo to Burundi amid rebel takeover of key city

According to the most recent United Nations figures, more than 84, 000 people have fled to Burundi from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as a result of a rebel offensive supported by Rwanda.

Burundi has reached a “critical point,” according to the UNHCR, as a result of the surge in violence in South Kivu province in the DRC.

More than 200, 000 people have so far sought refuge in Burundi, according to UNHCR, noting that “a major humanitarian emergency has arisen when thousands of people cross the border on foot and by boat each day, overburdening local resources.

“Women and children are particularly affected, arriving exhausted and severely traumatized, with physical and psychological scars from enraging violence. Our teams met pregnant women who shared that they had not eaten in days.

The M23 rebel group launched an assault that culminated in the capture of Uvira, a crucial city in the eastern DRC where hundreds of thousands of people reside.

Refugees started arriving in Burundi on December 5 with an increase in numbers after M23 took control of Uvira on December 10. M23 announced on Wednesday that it was resuming operations in response to international condemnation of its attack on the city.

According to the UN, displaced families in Burundi are living in difficult conditions in makeshift camps and transit points.

Many people have been sheltered under trees without adequate protection from the elements, and there are no sanitation and clean water.

About half of those who have been displaced are pregnant, while the majority are also under the age of 18.

Nearly 40, 000 refugees were reported in Gatumba in western Burundi and nearly 40, 000 in Buganda in the northwest, according to Ezechiel Nibigira, the president of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

Rumonge’s administrator, Augustin Minani, described the situation as “catastrophic” and claimed that “the majority are dying of hunger.”

Refugees recalled witnessing bombings and artillery fire, with some reporting dead relatives and forced to abandon elderly family members who were unable to travel.

M23 withdrawal

M23 made the announcement earlier this week that it would start leaving Uvira, calling the decision a “trust-building measure” to support Qatari and American peace efforts.

The announcement was described as a “diversion,” according to Congolese Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya, who claimed it was intended to ease Rwanda’s pressure.

According to local sources, M23 police and intelligence personnel were still present in the city on Thursday.

Following the group’s sweeping of Goma and Bukavu in January and Bukavu in February, the offensive expanded M23’s territorial gains this year.

A crucial supply route for Congolese forces along the Burundi border has been severed as a result of the rebel advance, which has given M23 control over sizable portions of the mineral-rich eastern DRC.

Less than a week after M23 and the DRC’s presidents met with US President Donald Trump to reiterate their commitment to a peace agreement, M23 launched the Uvira offensive.

Washington was furious with the rebels’ takeover of the city, and officials warned of consequences for what they characterized as Rwanda’s violation of the agreement. Rwanda denies backing M23.

Regional officials and humanitarian organizations claim that since early December, more than 200, 000 civilians have been killed and more than 200, 000 have been displaced by the fighting in the DRC.