KINSHASA, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The March 23 Movement (M23) has entered the strategic city of Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the rebel group said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We confirm that the city of Uvira is now liberated," M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said on the social media platform X, calling on residents to resume activities with complete calm.

Since Wednesday morning, rebel forces were reportedly seen on the northern outskirts of Uvira before advancing into several neighborhoods. Residents told Xinhua that they saw individuals identified as M23 fighters moving through the city.

The DRC government has yet to comment on the latest development in Uvira. However, government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said late Tuesday that authorities were closely monitoring the situation around Uvira.

In a statement issued Wednesday morning, the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) rejected the rebel claim as "a diversion" aimed at spreading panic.

"The city and its surroundings remain under the control of the loyalist army," said Mbuyi Kalonji Reagan, FARDC spokesperson in the region, calling on residents "to remain calm and vigilant."

Uvira, the second-largest city in South Kivu Province, has served as a temporary administrative center since the fall of Bukavu. A key commercial hub bordering Burundi, its strategic importance is heightened by its proximity to the Great Katanga region, one of the country's main economic zones.

Burundi has closed its border with the DRC in response to the situation in Uvira, near Burundi's economic capital Bujumbura, Congolese security sources said Wednesday.

On Monday, Bruno Lemarquis, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in the DRC, warned of a rapidly escalating situation in South Kivu, saying heavy-weapon clashes between Dec. 2 and 7 killed at least 74 people and displaced more than 200,000, with thousands fleeing toward Burundi and Rwanda. Enditem