South Kivu : M23 seizes Sange, triggering a massive influx into Burundi and a retreat of Burundian troops

SOS Médias Burundi

Bukavu, December 9, 2025 — The town of Sange, located in the Uvira territory of South Kivu, fell on Monday under the control of the armed group AFC/M23, following fierce clashes with the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC). According to local security sources, the rebels simultaneously seized the strategic military camp of Kabunambo, causing a disorderly withdrawal of loyalist troops.

A mass exodus to Fizi, Tanganyika, and Burundi

The fall of Sange comes as the M23 continues its rapid advance toward the city of Uvira. Fearing an imminent advance, thousands of families are fleeing :

towards the Fizi territory,

towards Tanganyika province,

or by crossing the border into Burundi.

“The roads are congested. People are leaving with whatever they can, often on foot,” a civil society representative in the region told SOS Médias Burundi by phone.

The rebel movement now controls Katogota, Luvungi, Lubarika, Mitimbili, Bwegera, Mutarule, and Sange, and is about 25 km from Uvira, a strategic hub in South Kivu, located a few kilometers from Bujumbura, Burundi’s commercial capital and home to UN agencies and the central government.

Coordinated withdrawal of Burundian troops

Meanwhile, elements of the Burundi National Defense Force (FDNB), deployed for several months in the highlands overlooking the region, have begun a withdrawal to their country.

Burundian soldiers have been seen in Muramvya, Kamidoki, Point Zéro, and Murambi, returning to the Burundian territory on orders from their command.

According to military sources in Bujumbura and Uvira, “the withdrawal is underway.” The decision was reportedly made during a meeting chaired by the Chief of Staff, General Prime Niyongabo, accompanied by his advisors and senior military officials. The objective : to reposition along the border to prevent any potential advance by the M23 into the Burundian territory.

An unprecedented influx into Burundi : soldiers, militiamen, and civilians fleeing

Since early Monday morning, the Uvira border has been the scene of massive and chaotic movements involving:

FARDC soldiers,

Wazalendo militiamen,

Burundian soldiers of the FDNB,

members of the CNDD-FDD youth league, the Imbonerakure,

and Congolese civilians.

On the Kaburantwa road, witnesses describe “endless lines of people exhausted and traumatized by several days of fighting.”

Burundian forces are systematically disarming FARDC and Wazalendo members entering their territory, a sign of the heightened sensitivity of the situation. Several sources report that some administration authorities in Uvira have already left the city towards Gatumba, further fueling the panic.

Explosive accusations

On Monday afternoon, amid escalating tensions, Burundian Foreign Minister Edouard Bizimana publicly accused Rwanda of having :

reinforced its military positions in South Kivu,

massively deployed troops along the Burundi-Rwanda border,

and launched attacks on Burundian positions in the Rusizi Plain, going so far, according to him, “as to launching attacks on the Burundian soil.”

Bizimana claims—without providing evidence—that more than 8,000 Rwandan soldiers have been deployed in South Kivu. He mentions “trucks full of soldiers” crossing the border as early as November 28, as well as the alleged use of kamikaze drones against civilian populations.

These accusations were made in front of diplomats accredited to Burundi and representatives of regional and international organizations.

Kigali had not publicly reacted at the time of the publication of this article.

Rwanda, for its part, accuses Kinshasa and Gitega of supporting rebel groups hostile to its regime, fueling a cycle of mutual accusations.

Heavy human toll : at least 74 dead and 83 wounded

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 74 people—mostly civilians—were killed, and 83 wounded were admitted to hospitals in Sange and Walungu between December 2 and 7.

Bruno Lemarquis, the UN humanitarian coordinator in the DRC, warns :

“Medical evacuations are hampered by fighting and roadblocks. Attacks against civilian infrastructure, including schools, have been reported. These acts constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

A complex regional conflict, despite the agreement signed in Washington

These incidents come as the DRC and Rwanda signed an agreement in Washington on Thursday, under the US mediation, aimed at reducing regional tensions. The conflict remains complex, however.

The M23, a former Tutsi rebellion reactivated in 2021, is fighting the FARDC, supported by more than 10,000 Burundian soldiers and the local Wazalendo militias. Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23, now affiliated with the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a political and military movement led by Corneille Nangaa, the former president of the Congolese Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), which advocates for a federal state.

Kigali firmly rejects these accusations.

Rwanda, in turn, accuses the DRC and Burundi of supporting the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu group accused of participating in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. The Washington agreement notably provides for their disarmament, with President Félix Tshisekedi describing them as a “residual force.”

UN experts—whom Kigali calls “imposters”—claim that Rwanda has deployed approximately 6,000 troops in support of the M23.