DRC Army Withdraws Heavy Weapons from Uvira Amid Rising Rebel Threat

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) armed forces have begun withdrawing heavy weapons from Uvira as fears grow that the strategic eastern city could soon fall to AFC/M23 rebels if ongoing peace talks collapse.

According to reports, Congolese troops and their allies are transporting military equipment to Burundi’s Mudubugu Military Camp through the Kavimvira-Gatumba border crossing. The relocation follows the government’s devastating loss of Goma in late January, where rebels seized a significant cache of military assets including drones, tanks, mortars, and even a fighter jet.

A defense attaché based in Burundi, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the operation as a “strategic withdrawal” aimed at safeguarding critical assets. However, he warned that the move could effectively hand Uvira to the rebels, granting them control of all three major eastern DRC cities: Goma, Bukavu, and Uvira.

Despite having numerical superiority and backing from FDLR militias, Burundian forces, European and American mercenaries, and Wazalendo coalitions, the Congolese army has struggled to contain the rebel advance