UVIRA, DR Congo, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Burundian nationals crossed back into Burundi on Sunday through a restricted and exceptional border passage from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) city of Uvira, despite an official border closure ordered by Burundi, Xinhua correspondents observed on the spot.
The crossing, limited to Sunday and applied only to Burundian nationals returning home, was authorized following negotiations between the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group and Burundian officials, allowing those stranded in and around Uvira to return to Burundi.
Earlier this week, the M23 announced it had seized Uvira, the second-largest city in South Kivu Province near the Burundian border. On the same day, Burundian authorities closed the border with the DRC, citing security concerns.
M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka told Xinhua that the move did not amount to a reopening of the border, which remains officially closed by Burundian authorities. He said the crossing was temporary, humanitarian in nature, and strictly limited to the return of Burundian nationals.
Burundian authorities have not publicly commented on the arrangement.
Since fighting intensified around Uvira in early December, large and disorganized population movements involving both Congolese and Burundian civilians have been observed near border crossing points. The fighting and the border closure trapped many Burundians living or working in Uvira, witnesses told Xinhua.
Uvira served as the provisional administrative center for South Kivu after the provincial capital, Bukavu, fell to the M23 in February. A major commercial hub near the Burundian border, the city holds significant strategic importance in eastern DRC.
Analysts and local sources warned that Uvira's loss could, over time, open a corridor toward DRC's southeastern provinces, including Haut-Katanga, a key economic region, as clashes between M23 fighters and DRC government forces have also been reported further south in the Baraka and Fizi areas. ■