The city of Uvira has descended into a dark period of fear and extreme insecurity. Since Sunday, January 18, 2026, following the withdrawal of fighters from the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23), the peace many residents had hoped for has instead turned into tears, bloodshed, and widespread panic.
According to an Afrovera Media journalist based in Uvira, residents have begun speaking out openly against what they describe as escalating and systematic violence targeting civilians, particularly young people who have become the main victims of these abuses. In less than four days, information gathered on the ground reveals a deeply alarming situation.
More than 25 people have been killed, most of them young men and women who were shot dead while still holding onto dreams of living in peace and building a better future. At least 60 people have reportedly gone missing, plunging their families into profound anguish and psychological distress, with no information about the whereabouts of their loved ones. In addition, more than 130 individuals have been arrested arbitrarily, including local village, street, and neighborhood leaders, and detained without clear legal grounds, in what observers describe as an effort to weaken local governance and social cohesion.
These developments have sparked anger and deep sorrow among Uvira’s youth. Groups known as Wazalendo, once viewed by many as allies and defenders of the nation against armed threats, are now accused of turning their weapons on civilians. Young people interviewed by Afrovera Media say they now see them as enemies, questioning why civilians’ phones are seized at gunpoint and why the lives of young people in Uvira appear to have lost all value.
The manner in which these acts are being carried out suggests a coordinated pattern, including looting, extortion, intimidation, and killings carried out without justification. A generation already scarred by years of conflict and chronic insecurity has now become the victim of internal violence that many residents describe as senseless and unacceptable.
The Afrovera Media journalist reports growing calls from the local population for military and civilian authorities to urgently restore security in Uvira and take firm measures to end the lawlessness fueling violence against civilians. Residents are also urging the international community not to turn a blind eye to the abuses unfolding since January 18, 2026, which they say amount to serious violations of human rights.
Voices from Uvira’s youth are now rising with urgency and determination, carrying a clear and unified message: enough is enough. The killings must stop.
