Rwanda-backed M23 rebels enter eastern DRC's Bukavu city

An Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) soldier sits on the back of a pick-up truck in Bukavu on February 14, 2025. (Photo/AFP)

Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have entered the region's second-largest city of Bukavu, local and civil society leaders said, the latest ground gained since a major escalation of their yearslong fighting with government forces.

The M23 rebels on Friday entered the city's Kazingu and Bagira zone and were advancing towards the centre of the city of about 1.3 million people, according to Jean Samy, vice-president of the civil society in South Kivu. He reported gunfire in parts of the city.

Videos posted online appeared to show rebels marching toward the Bagira area. In one of the videos, a voice in the background shouted: "They are there ... there are many of them."

Hours earlier, the rebels had claimed to have seized a second airport in the region, in the town of Kavumu, following a days-long advance, while the UN warned that the recent escalation of fighting with government forces has left 350,000 internally displaced people without shelter.

The M23, which is reportedly supported by about 4,000 troops from neighbouring Rwanda, took control of eastern DRC biggest city, Goma, in late January. The rebels are the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of DRC's mineral-rich east.

The rebellion has killed at least 3,000 people in and around Goma and left hundreds of thousands of displaced people stranded, the UN and Congolese authorities have said.

The Associated Press could not immediately confirm who was in control of the Kavumu national airport, which is located about 30 kilometres from Bukavu, which is the capital of South Kivu province.

'Urban war'

Kavumu airport became a target after the M23 rebels seized Goma an its international airport.

Goma is a critical trade and humanitarian hub that hosted many of the close to 6.5 million people displaced in the conflict, the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said on X that the rebels took over Kavumu airport and its surroundings to "eliminate the threat at the source." "The airport posed a danger to the civilian population," he said.

The M23, which is reportedly supported by about 4,000 troops from neighbouring Rwanda, took control of eastern DRC biggest city, Goma, in late January. (Photo/Reuters)

DRC's Communication Ministry issued a statement criticising the rebels for violating a ceasefire that regional leaders have called for. The rebels were "imposing an urban war by attacking the positions of the FARDC (Congolese military) who are keen to avoid bloodshed in Bukavu," the ministry said.

A local civil society leader in Kavumu reported seeing soldiers "abandon their positions and head towards Bukavu."

"This caused fear within the community (and) I took the necessary measures to bring my family to safety," the leader said, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Tshisekedi slams UN inaction

DRC President Felix Tshisekedi criticised what he described as the failure of the international community to stop the aggression from the rebels and troops from Rwanda.

"This raises the question of the United Nations, which for me has become a two-tier organisation depending on whether you are among the powerful or privileged (countries) or whether you are among the weak and disadvantaged," said Tshisekedi, who is attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

M23 rebels last week declared a unilateral ceasefire that the government dismissed as false. They later continued to advance toward Bukavu, seizing several nearby towns, including the town of Katana on Friday. The town is 7 kilometres from Kavumu airport.

The UN refugee agency said on Friday that hundreds of thousands of displaced people are now in overcrowded makeshift shelters, churches, schools and hospitals.

"Heavy artillery shelling and looting have destroyed 70,000 emergency shelters around Goma and Minova in North and South Kivu provinces, leaving some 350,000 internally displaced people once again without roofs over their heads," the agency said.

African leaders will gather in Ethiopia at the weekend for a summit of the African Union, a continent-wide body that has previously been criticized for inaction amid conflicts in different parts of the region.

A recent meeting of leaders from eastern and southern Africa called for a ceasefire in eastern DRC but did not urge the M23 rebels to stop their advance.

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Source: TRT