BUKAVU, DRC – M23 rebels have entered Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict despite international calls for a ceasefire.
Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, which includes the M23 rebels, confirmed to Reuters that the fighters had reached the South Kivu provincial capital on Friday evening and planned to advance further on Saturday.
The rebel movement, which is widely believed to be backed by Rwanda, has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in recent weeks.
The fall of Bukavu follows the group’s capture of Goma, the largest city in the mineral-rich east, last month.
The DRC government has accused Rwanda of backing M23 to exploit the region’s vast natural resources, a charge Rwanda denies.
The capture of Bukavu represents a turning point in the ongoing conflict.
M23 previously seized Goma in 2012 before international pressure forced them to withdraw.
However, the latest offensive suggests the group is emboldened and seeking to consolidate territorial control.
Earlier on Friday, rebel forces took control of an airport about 30 kilometers north of Bukavu after Congolese troops and allied militias withdrew without significant resistance.
However, heavy clashes were reported on the outskirts of the city, according to South Kivu’s Deputy Governor Jean Elekano.
Meanwhile, further north in Mayba village, local media reported that at least 70 bodies were discovered inside a church, bound and executed.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamic State-linked group, is suspected to be behind the massacre, though independent confirmation is pending.
The deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC is drawing global concern.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi called for international sanctions against Rwanda, accusing Kigali of “expansionist ambitions” and plundering Congolese resources with impunity.
“We will no longer put up with our strategic resources being looted for the benefit of foreign interests under the complicit gaze of those who feed on chaos,” Tshisekedi said.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, however, has dismissed accusations of backing the rebels, instead citing security threats from Hutu militant groups operating in eastern DRC. He also brushed off the possibility of sanctions.
As the crisis escalates, African Union (AU) leaders are set to meet in Ethiopia for a summit on Saturday.
AU Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat has called for an immediate ceasefire, warning that “military campaigns are not going to solve these problems.”
The situation in eastern DRC remains volatile, with fears of further displacement and violence as M23 and other armed groups continue their offensives.
The international community faces mounting pressure to intervene and push for a lasting resolution to the long-standing conflict.
