Mass graves reported near Uvira after M23 withdrawal
Feb 28th 2026
Provincial officials and a civil society group say two burial sites with at least 171 bodies were found on the outskirts of Uvira after M23 withdrew, but the claims are not independently verified and access to the sites has been restricted.
- South Kivu governor Jean-Jacques Purusi said two burial sites near Uvira contain at least 171 bodies, about 30 in Kiromoni and 141 in Kavimvira.
- The claims have not been independently verified and M23 did not respond to requests for comment.
- A local civil society group says the military blocked access to the sites and attributes the killings to M23 fighters.
- Authorities say some victims may have been targeted on suspicion of links to the Congolese army or allied militias.
- M23 seized Uvira in December, with regional authorities reporting more than 1,500 dead and about 300,000 displaced.
- UN experts and rights groups have documented abuses by both M23 and the Congolese military in a conflict involving more than 100 armed groups.