Hundreds of Burundians Return to Democratic Republic of Congo Amid Border Reopening

Thousands of Congolese Flee to Burundi Amid M23 Control of Uvira

On Monday, December 8, 2025, a day that will be remembered by Joseph Bahisi for years to come, M23 rebels stormed into Uvira, taking control of the city in South Kivu province. The city, located at the northern end of Lake Tanganyika, was one of the last major areas under government control as Congolese armed forces and allied militias fought against the Rwanda-backed alliance.

Bahisi, a 40-year-old father of four, fled with his family after hearing that fighting was approaching Uvira. They packed what little they could carry and walked approximately five kilometres to cross into Burundi, where they ended up at Rumonge refugee camp. According to the United Nations, over 90,000 Congolese had fled to Burundi since M23’s offensive on Uvira.

On December 10, M23 entered Uvira and took full control of the city. The border post was subsequently closed due to security concerns. However, after nearly three months of uncertainty, the post reopened on Monday, allowing tens of thousands of refugees to return home.

M23 has been involved in a conflict with the Congolese government for over a decade, with fighting resuming in 2021 and escalating again in January 2025. The rebels claim to be fighting for the rights of the minority Tutsi community, while the Congolese government accuses them and neighboring Rwanda of supporting their efforts.

The United Nations has deployed a joint exploratory assessment team to Uvira to evaluate security conditions and support the implementation of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism agreed upon in the Qatar deal. Meanwhile, Willy Ngoma, a military spokesperson for M23, was killed in a Congolese army drone strike on Tuesday.

Source: Al Jazeera