Sporadic gunfire and explosions have been reported as M23 rebels advance towards a key city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in an offensive that has forced thousands to flee across the border into Burundi.
Residents and military sources said soldiers were fleeing the assault on Uvira, the last government-held city in the mineral-rich region.
US President Donald Trump brokered a peace deal last week between DR Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame to end the long-running conflict but fighting has continued.
Shops and schools have closed, with terrified residents staying indoors amid fears that rebels had taken control of some government buildings.
But South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi dismissed reports that the rebels were in the city as “completely unfounded rumours”.
Residents told the BBC that Uvira was in lockdown on Wednesday, with some reporting gunfire in the city that is just 27 km (17 miles) from Burundi’s capital, Bujumbura.
A local rights official told AP news agency that there was a “risk of a massacre” if the remaining soldiers mounted strong resistance.
“It’s chaotic, nobody’s in charge. Uvira is done for,” a Burundian officer told AFP news agency.
“Three bombs have just exploded in the hills. It’s every man for himself,” a resident told AFP, while another added: “We are all under the beds in Uvira – that’s the reality.”
SOURCE: BBC NEWS
