Hundreds of families have fled towards Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, escaping renewed fighting near the border with Burundi, local sources said Tuesday.
The displacement follows clashes between Congolese army forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group across villages surrounding the strategic lakeside city.
M23 fighters briefly seized Uvira on December 10, securing control of a key land border linking Congo with its regional ally Burundi.
The takeover came days after Congolese and Rwandan officials signed a Washington-brokered peace agreement aimed at ending decades of eastern unrest.
Under strong US pressure, M23 later announced its withdrawal, urging mediators to protect Uvira from reprisals, renewed violence, and remilitarisation.
Residents say the city has since filled with displaced families, mostly women and children, fleeing active fighting in nearby communities.
Jacques Bulenda, from Uvira’s Mulongwe neighbourhood, said arrivals have poured into the city for three consecutive days without pause.
Many fled from Kigongo, Katongo, and Kabimba, villages less than ten kilometres away, where gunfire and clashes have continued intermittently.
The displaced are sheltering with relatives or host families, a situation residents warn is deepening food shortages and economic strain.
Gatabishwa Masumbuko said the sudden influx has stretched already fragile resources in a city long burdened by conflict-driven displacement.
The Congolese army said it retook the hills of Luhanga and Kigongo on Monday after what it described as violent clashes.
AFP was unable to independently verify the military’s claims as uncertainty persists despite promises of peace in Congo’s mineral-rich east.