Kinshasa Rejects Human Rights Watch’s Assessment of Uvira, Citing Rebel Responsibility

Kinshasa, January 26, 2026 - The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has strongly contested a recent report by Human Rights Watch on the security situation in Uvira, South Kivu, following the withdrawal of the Rwandan-backed AFC/M23 rebellion. The government warned that separating current risks from the actions and strategies of the occupying forces is both legally inaccurate and politically dangerous. In a statement released on Thursday, January 22, the Ministry of Communication emphasized that the Human Rights Watch report, titled “DR Congo: Civilians in South Kivu at Serious Risk”, primarily focuses on post-withdrawal risks without adequately situating them within the broader context of an illegal armed occupation characterized by systematic abuses against civilians and a deliberate strategy to destabilize the city. “The withdrawal of the AFC/M23 from Uvira, which occurred on January 17, 2026, followed a period marked by looting, large-scale theft, threats, intimidation, and community stigmatization, all of which severely affected civilian security and social cohesion. This withdrawal was accompanied by premeditated disorder, deliberately orchestrated to prolong insecurity and create residual effects after the occupying forces departed,” the statement read. According to the government, the primary responsibility for endangering civilians lies with the rebels, due to the illegal occupation, the manipulation of fear among residents, forced transfers and displacement of members of the Banyamulenge community, and the deliberate chaos left behind. The government stressed that downplaying or reversing this responsibility is inconsistent with established facts and warned against any equivalence between the aggressed state and the occupying forces. “It is legally inaccurate and politically dangerous to dissociate the current risks in Uvira from the acts and strategies implemented by the occupying forces before and during their withdrawal. The DRC reaffirms its commitment to international human rights mechanisms, which must respect the full factual truth, the hierarchy of responsibilities, and the principle of non-equivalence,” the statement said. The government also reiterated its willingness to cooperate with international mechanisms, provided their analyses and recommendations adhere to rigorous interpretations of international law and do not dilute responsibilities or reverse facts. Since the rebel withdrawal, the redeployment of FARDC troops, the Congolese National Police, and other security services has facilitated the gradual restoration of state authority, the protection of civilians and their property, and the containment of risks, contributing to the preservation of public order. Uvira, a strategic city in South Kivu, had previously fallen under the control of AFC/M23, strengthening the rebels’ influence in North and South Kivu. The city is seen as a key stronghold, potentially facilitating a rebel advance toward the Greater Katanga region, the economic heartland of the DRC.