A total of 526 Congolese citizens, the majority of them women and children, have crossed into Rwanda to escape renewed fighting in Kamanyola and nearby areas.
They arrived on the morning of Friday, December 5, 2025, between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m., seeking safety from intensified hostilities.
Their arrival follows that of 199 others who entered Rwanda on Thursday, December 4, also fleeing widespread clashes across South Kivu Province.
Fighting has sharply escalated since Tuesday, pitting AFC/M23 against a coalition made up of FARDC, Burundian forces, and Wazalendo militias.
The coalition has mounted large-scale attacks on AFC/M23–held positions in the Katogota center in Uvira Territory and in Kamanyola in Walungu Territory, both located in South Kivu.
Kamanyola has been one of the hardest-hit areas as rival forces battle for strategic control of National Road No. 5, the vital highway linking Bukavu and Uvira.
