The UN and Security Council have repeatedly described the Tutsi-majority M23 militia as being backed by Rwanda, but Kigali has consistently denied providing support.
“The Secretary General emphasizes that This escalation risks seriously undermining efforts to achieve a sustainable resolution to the crisis and increases the risk of a broader regional conflagration.“Farhan Haq said in a statement.
Dozens of civilian deaths and many more injuries have also been reported in Kamanyola, Luvungi, Katogota and Uvira, leading to mass displacement and civilian casualties.
Guterres called for an “immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities,” urging all parties to honor commitments made under the peace agreements signed by the leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda in Washington on December 4 and the Doha Framework Agreement reached in November.
He added that the UN remains “fully mobilized” to support vital assistance and ongoing diplomacy, and emphasized that “the risk of a regional conflagration is real and the need to reduce tension is urgent.”
Dramatic climb
The UN aid coordination office (OCHA) said new assessments indicate that more than 500,000 people have been displaced in just over a week, a dramatic increase from previous estimates.
While some families have returned to areas where fighting has temporarily subsided, most remain in overcrowded places where the risk of outbreaks of cholera, mox and other diseases is increasing rapidly.
In the key town of Uvira, reportedly overrun by AFC/M23 fighters on Wednesday, the situation was described as relatively calm on Thursday, although sporadic gunfire continued in several neighborhoods.
Radio Okapi, operated by the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO, reported that the city’s streets were deserted, the border crossing with Burundi closed and residents sheltered in their homes amid fear and uncertainty.
Hospitals ‘struggling to cope’
Hospitals are struggling to cope with the situation. Uvira’s main referral hospital is receiving a constant influx of injured patients, including more than 60 people transferred after Ruzizi Hospital ceased operations due to insecurity.
On Wednesday, an explosion in the Kimanga neighborhood of Uvira killed two civilians and injured three others.
More than 27,000 people have fled since December 8 to the province of Tanganyika, bordering South Kivu, reaching Kisongo, Kabimba and along the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Previous waves of fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have pushed thousands of refugees into neighboring Burundi. In the photo, displaced families arrive at the Rugombo transit site in Cibitoke province. (file photo)
Fears of regional contagion
The violence has also forced people to cross the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: an estimated 50,000 people have crossed into Burundi, where conditions in makeshift sites remain “very precarious,” according to OCHA.
Many refugees – mostly women and children – are exhausted, injured and in urgent need of shelter, food, water, sanitation and protection services.
Additional arrivals have also been reported in Rwanda, where the UN refugee agency UNHCR is supporting registration, health and nutrition services, hot meals and child protection assistance at the Nyarushishi Transit Centre.
A year of conflict escalation
The latest increase comes after one of the most volatile years in eastern DRC in recent times.
Fighting between the Congolese armed forces, local militias and M23-aligned fighters escalated sharply earlier this year, culminating in the fall of Goma in January and repeated waves of displacement in North and South Kivu.
The UN special envoy for the Great Lakes region, Huang Xia, said the new escalation “severely undermines the prospects for a lasting agreement.” and risks provoking wider regional tensions.
He urged all armed actors to move away from confrontation and facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access.