27.02.2026 07:24
Two mass graves containing a total of 171 bodies have been discovered in the city of Uvira. The graves emerged following conflicts in the region and are said to date back to the period when the M23 rebel group took control.
Two mass graves containing a total of 171 bodies have been discovered in the city of Uvira, located in the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to reports in the national press, a grave containing 30 bodies was found in the Kiromoni area near the Burundi border in the city of Uvira. Another grave containing 141 bodies was identified in the Kavimvira area.
REVEALED IN INVESTIGATIONS
The mass graves were uncovered as a result of investigations conducted following armed conflicts that occurred in the region in recent months.
It is claimed that the mass graves date back to the period when the rebel group known as the March 23 Movement (M23) took control of the city of Uvira.
WHAT HAPPENED?
M23 members seized control of Uvira in early December 2025, but were forced to withdraw from the city by the end of December 2025 due to increasing international and diplomatic pressure. More than 500,000 people were displaced due to the conflicts in the city, and at least 1,500 civilians lost their lives.
CONFLICTS IN DRC
Since the beginning of 2025, members of the rebel M23 group have taken control of many regions, including the capital of North Kivu province, Goma, due to ongoing armed attacks. As a result of the conflicts in eastern DRC, more than 1 million people were displaced in 2025, and at least 7,000 people lost their lives.