Attacks and Looting Reported Against Tutsi Homes in Uvira After Wazalendo Return

Homes belonging to Tutsi families in the city of Uvira, South Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, have reportedly been attacked and looted by groups of civilians allegedly led by Wazalendo fighters who recently returned to the city.

Videos circulating widely on social media show groups of people ransacking a residential compound, carrying away household items. In the footage, voices can be heard shouting slogans such as, “Leave nothing in these Rwandans’ houses,” suggesting the attacks were ethnically motivated.

Additional reports indicate that a church described as predominantly attended by Tutsis was looted early Sunday morning. Unconfirmed information also claims that at least five civilians were killed during the violence, though these casualties have not yet been independently verified.

The incidents follow the return of Wazalendo militias alongside the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) to Uvira. The city had previously been under the control of the AFC/M23 coalition until the withdrawal of its remaining fighters on Saturday.

Footage shared online shows Wazalendo fighters re-entering Uvira, firing shots into the air, prompting panic among residents and causing many civilians to flee.

Sources also report that large numbers of Banyamulenge civilians began leaving Uvira following the departure of AFC/M23. The Amohoro Peace Association, an organization representing the Banyamulenge community, issued a statement warning that the group is facing serious security threats.

“Uvira is heading toward an emergency humanitarian situation,” the statement reads. “Following the forced withdrawal of AFC/M23 under pressure from the United States, Banyamulenge civilians are being hunted. Wazalendo militias are attacking, killing, and looting the homes of people labeled as ‘Banyarwanda’—a term frequently used to target Banyamulenge Tutsis.”