Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday urged international organizations and the Congolese government to ensure that civilians in Uvira are protected from abuse by Wazalendo militias, following the withdrawal of the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group from the city.

“Congolese authorities should act quickly to restore security and ensure the protection of all civilians, including the Banyamulenge,” Clementine de Montyoye, senior Great Lakes researcher at HRW, said. “Congolese authorities should deploy well-trained, vetted security forces, disarm and remove abusive militia, and apprehend those found responsible for crimes against civilians.”

Following the M23 forces’ capture of Uvira on December 10, 2025, HRW had warned that civilians faced a heightened risk of abuse. Local civilian groups also reported killings, enforced disappearances, and forced recruitment. The rights group claimed that both Rwanda-backed M23 forces and Congolese-allied “Wazalendo” were liable for violations of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions. According to UN statistics, at least 200,000 people were displaced by the conflict in December 2025.

After the M23 and Rwandan forces captured Uvira, the M23 forces threatened, harassed, and assaulted people who opposed them in the city, often claiming to protect the Congolese Tutsi (Banyamulenge). The Congolese government has consistently stated that Wazalendo fighters assist national efforts to resist the M23 and Rwandan forces. HRW, however, highlighted that the Wazalendo group has “a history of committing abuses” targeting the Banyamulenge and lacks “effective command, discipline, or accountability.”

Now, with the withdrawal of the M23 forces, the Banyamulenge community fears for its safety from the Wazalendo group that receives Congolese army support. 

As the M23 withdrew from Uvira, they announced on January 15 that they were ready to hand Uvira to the “international community” and asked the UN to deploy a neutral force. HRW echoed the sentiment, calling for the UN peacekeeping force in the Congo (MONUSCO) to deploy human rights protection experts and work with authorities to protect civilians in Uvira.

The UN Security Council passed a resolution on December 19, 2025, to renew MONUSCO’s mandate, authorizing it to support the implementation of a ceasefire. The resolution denounced M23’s actions in South Kivu, condemning the seizure of Uvira, “which risks destabilizing the whole region, gravely endangers civilian populations and imperils ongoing peace efforts.”