Several homes and shops owned by banyamulenge in Uvira city have been ransacked and looted, local reports indicate.
The AFC/M23 rebels have completely withdrawn from the city and officially handing over to MONUSCO on Sunday.
AFC/M23 said it has withdrawn its “observation and monitoring unit” from the city of Uvira, thus completing the total withdrawal of its forces.
“Through this final withdrawal, AFC/M23 wishes to express its “good faith” and a “sincere commitment to the existing ceasefire” as well as a “dedication to a peaceful and political resolution to the crisis,” the rebel alliance said in a statement.
However, the Banyamulenge Community Warns of a Risk of Chaos Following a Possible Withdrawal of AFC/M23 from Uvira.
“This Sunday we are witnessing a wave of looting carried out by the Wazalendo and other coalition forces,” a resident told a local radio reporter.
According to a video circulating on social media, a person speaking in Swahili is heard saying, “We must destroy all the houses of the Banyamulenge and loot everything.”
In other images churches allegedly operated by Banyamulenge in Uvira have already been destroyed.
Enock Ruberangabo Sebineza, president of the Banyamulenge Community of Kinshasa has called for urgent mobilization to avoid a new spiral of violence in South Kivu.
