Heavy fighting has resumed in the Ruzizi Plain in Uvira Territory as clashes between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and the AFC/M23 rebel coalition intensify, ending nearly two months of relative calm in the area.
The renewed violence comes just days after Congolese forces, alongside allied militias including Wazalendo, blocked the RN5 road linking Uvira and Bukavu, citing security concerns.
According to AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, government forces began shelling the Kabunambo area early on March 17, 2026, using heavy weapons, forcing many civilians to flee their homes.
The group’s Secretary-General, Benjamin Mbonimpa, claimed that the area had remained calm under AFC/M23 control prior to the attacks, accusing the Congolese government of escalating the situation.
AFC/M23 has said it is prepared to defend civilians and their property in Kabunambo amid what it described as continued provocation by government forces.
The Ruzizi Plain has previously witnessed intense clashes, notably in early December 2025, when FARDC and its allies launched offensives against areas held by AFC/M23, including the strategic center of Kamanyola.
Although AFC/M23 later seized large parts of Uvira Territory, including Uvira town, the group withdrew in mid-January 2026 to allow peace talks to resume.
The Congolese government has since indicated it aims to reassert control over all territories previously held by the rebels, including major cities such as Bukavu, Goma, and Bunagana.
Recent weeks have seen a surge in military activity. In late February, FARDC carried out a drone strike near Rubaya that killed AFC/M23 military spokesperson Lt. Col. Willy Ngoma.
On March 11, another drone strike hit Goma, killing three civilians, including Karine Buisset, a French national working with the UNICEF.AFC/M23 also accused FARDC and its allies, including Burundian forces, FDLR fighters, Wazalendo militias, and mercenaries of launching fresh drone attacks overnight between March 16 and 17 in Minembwe and surrounding areas.
The group warned that the Congolese government would be held accountable for civilian casualties, while criticizing the international community for what it described as inaction amid escalating violence.
The resurgence of fighting underscores the fragility of ongoing peace efforts and raises concerns about the humanitarian situation in eastern DR Congo, where civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict.
