AFC/M23 Commander Gen.Makenga Vows to Capture Uvira, Warns Pro-Government Militias to Withdraw
Tensions are rising in South Kivu as the Commander of the M23/AFC rebel coalition, Major General Sultani Emmanuel Makenga, has warned that his forces will soon capture Uvira, one of the largest cities in the province.
Makenga’s message was conveyed through Patrick Busu Bwa Ngwi Nshombo, the governor aligned with the group, during a community meeting held in Kamanyola on Thursday, October 9, 2025.
“Our leader, General-Major Sultani Makenga, told me to go tell our brothers in Kamanyola that very soon we are coming to take Uvira,” Governor Nshombo told residents.
The strategic city of Uvira is currently guarded by a coalition of pro-government forces, including the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), FDLR militias, Wazalendo coalition fighters, and Burundian troops.
During the same meeting, Prof. Stanislas Baleke, a senior official in the office of Corneille Nangaa, the coordinator of the AFC/M23 alliance, urged pro-government militias in Uvira to abandon President Félix Tshisekedi’s forces and join the rebels.
“My brothers Makanaki, Kamomo, Yakutumba, Ngomanzito, when you hear the first shot in Uvira, leave immediately,” Baleke said. “I don’t want to see you die for Tshilombo [Tshisekedi]. Stop fighting for him.”
Baleke accused President Tshisekedi of betrayal and deception, saying he has turned his back on those who once supported him.
“Tshisekedi is a liar. He has done nothing for anyone. Even Kabila, who made him president, he betrayed. Vital Kamerhe made him president, and he expelled him from Parliament. If he can betray those who helped him rise, what do you think he’ll do to you?”
The M23/AFC coalition, which has expanded its influence across parts of North and South Kivu, continues to challenge the Congolese government’s control over the mineral-rich eastern region.
Observers say capturing Uvira would give M23 a major strategic advantage, opening access routes toward Kalemie
