Rwandan-backed M23 rebels advanced on Sunday into the centre of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, meeting little resistance from government troops, witnesses and the armed group said, as Congo accused Rwanda of ignoring calls for a ceasefire.
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Democratic Republic of the Congo: DR Congo government confirms rebel entry into strategic city BukavuBukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo - Recent The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed on Sunday the entry of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels into Bukavu, a major city in the eastern part of the country.
The capture of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, would represent an unprecedented expansion of territory under the M23's control since the latest insurgency started in 2022 and deal a further blow to Kinshasa's authority in the east.
Crowds of Congolese police officers who switched to the M23 rebel group sang and clapped in occupied Bukavu city on Saturday, preparing for retraining under the authority of the Rwandan-backed rebels who are intent on showing they plan to stick around and govern.
Bukavu rises from chaos, but scars remain. Looters and rebels left devastation, yet merchants return, clinging to hope. As M23 advances, fear grips the region—will peace hold, or is worse to come?
The Rwandan-backed rebels' entry into Bukavu follows their capture of Goma, defying international calls for a ceasefire.
M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have captured the eastern city of Bukavu with the backing of Rwandan forces, the second major city in the mineral-rich Kivu region to fall in three weeks.
M23 rebellion, Congo and eastern DRC
· 10d · on MSN
Rwanda-backed rebels advance into eastern Congo’s 2nd major city of Bukavu, residents say
Congo says rebel uprising in its east has killed over 7,000 people this year
More than 7,000 people have died this year as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured unprecedented amounts of territory in mineral-rich eastern Congo
Over 7,000 people killed in eastern DR Congo since January: PM
Violence raging in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has killed "more than 7,000 compatriots", many of them civilians, since last month, the Congolese premier said Monday.The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has seized large swathes of the mineral-rich eastern DRC -- including the main cities of Goma and Bukavu -- in the face of limited resistance from Congolese forces.
As armed attacks intensify in North Kivu, villagers plead for prayers after discovering dozens of victims inside a Protestant church — another grim chapter in the region’s deepening crisis.
The UN human rights chief accused Rwanda-backed rebels who seized a second major city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of killing children and attacking hospitals and warehouses storing humanitarian aid.
The Congo River Alliance, a group of rebel outfits including the Rwandan-backed M23, said its fighters "decided to assist the population of Bukavu" in addressing its security challenges under the "old regime".
Ex-presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia to lead regional peace efforts - Anadolu Ajansı
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