South Kivu : 4 dead and 11 wounded in a grenade explosion in Sange

SOS Médias Burundi

Bukavu, January 30, 2026 – In South Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, four people were killed and eleven others wounded on Thursday, January 29, 2026, around 6:30 p.m. in the town of Sange, Uvira territory, following a grenade explosion.

Explosion in the heart of the town

According to local sources, an unidentified individual threw the explosive device in the heart of the town, causing a tragedy among the civilian population. The wounded were evacuated to the Ruzizi General Referral Hospital where they are receiving treatment.

M23 response and meeting with the community

Following the incident, the M23 movement held a meeting with the residents of Sange on Friday, January 30. Officials called on anyone illegally possessing weapons or ammunition to surrender them, arguing that these weapons fuel crime and endanger civilians.

Justin Bitakwira’s accusations

For his part, Justin Bitakwira, a national deputy representing the Uvira constituency in South Kivu, publicly accused the M23 of being responsible for the explosion that killed four people. The city of Uvira is located a few kilometers from Bujumbura, Burundi’s economic capital. According to several sources, the M23 rebels withdrew from the city a few days ago under American pressure.

Ammunition interception in 2025

As a reminder, in February 2025, residents of Sange, supported by Wazalendo elements, intercepted two Congolese army trucks loaded with ammunition coming from Bukavu and destined for Uvira. According to witnesses, this ammunition was subsequently distributed locally.

Sange, a strategic area for the M23

The town of Sange is one of the areas controlled by the M23 in eastern Congo. The M23, a former Tutsi rebellion, resumed its armed struggle in late 2021, accusing Congolese authorities of failing to honor their commitments to reintegration. Since January 2025, the movement has occupied several strategic areas in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, including their capitals Goma and Bukavu, as well as the Rubaya mining site, one of the world’s largest coltan deposits, supplying a significant portion of the tantalum used in the electronics industry and new technologies.

Regional context and alliances

The M23 is now part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Congolese Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), and advocates for a federal state in the DRC. The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23, accusations rejected by Kigali, which in turn accuses Burundi and Rwanda of supporting the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu armed group implicated in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

According to an internal report from the Congolese Ministry of the Interior and Security, consulted by SOS Médias Burundi, Burundi has deployed more than 29,000 soldiers in eastern Congo to support the FARDC and the Wazalendo militias against the M23. Despite Rwandan denials, a report by the UN Group of Experts confirms the presence of 5,000 to 7,000 Rwandan soldiers alongside the rebels.

Persistent Security Situation

On the ground, clashes continue despite the Washington Agreement signed on December 4, 2025, between the DRC and Rwanda, with Burundi participating as an observer, represented by President Évariste Ndayishimiye.

The security situation remains worrying in this part of South Kivu, where the uncontrolled flow of weapons continues to threaten the civilian population.