"Lawrence Kanyuka, a spokesman for an alliance including M23 figthers, even claimed that its forces controlled the city, saying on social media that Uvira had been "liberated." He alleged months of attacks on local citizens by Congolese and allied forces, saying this was the reason for the attack. He said displaced residents could now return, "freed from all harrassment and violence.""
"Burundi, which has thorny relations with Rwanda, announced on Tuesday afternoon that it had closed its border crossings in the area and now considered them "military zones." Foreign Minister Edouard Bizimana told Radio France Internationale on Wednesday that his country had registered more than 30,000 refugees from Congo in the past three days. Uvira is only around 20 kilometers (roughly 12 miles) away from Burundi's economic capital and largest city, Bujumbura. The government in Gitega considers the city's fall to M23 fighters as an existential threat."
M23 rebels entered the eastern Congolese city of Uvira and claimed control, describing the city as liberated and alleging months of attacks by Congolese and allied forces. The rebels said displaced residents could return freed from harassment and violence. The advance occurred days after the presidents of the DRC and Rwanda met with the US president and reaffirmed commitment to a US-brokered peace deal. Uvira sits on Lake Tanganyika near the borders with Burundi and Rwanda and has more than half a million residents. Burundi closed nearby border crossings, registered over 30,000 refugees, and views the fall as an existential threat given its proximity to Bujumbura.
Read at www.dw.com
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