Local officials and witnesses report that they saw the rebels enter the second largest city in the eastern DRC after a rapid advance.
The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels entered Bukabu, the second largest city in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after moving forward rapidly within the country.
Local officials, security sources and five witnesses reported seeing the rebels on Sunday, but a militia spokesman told Reuters that “we’re there.”
The armed groups have been moving forward in the capital of South Kivu province since seizing Goma city in late January. The collapse of Bukabu, if confirmed, represents the most significant expansion of the territory under the control of the M23 since the latest armed rebellion began in 2022.
M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma said in a phone message that the group was in the city.
The Congolese army immediately did not respond to a request for comment.
“I’m at home. I can see the M23 in our town with my own eyes,” a local official said on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Bukabu resident Claude Bissimwa was transporting the bodies of two murdered men who were attacked by bullets from “inside… their home.”
“They were in their rooms. We take their bodies to the morgue. These were not bullets of straying – the soldier did this from his own will,” said Bishimwa. told Al Jazeera.
When panic swept the city, there were reports of widespread looting, including the global food program depot, but thousands of civilians fled.
A day ago, rebels ruled Kavum Airport, which serves Bukabu. They reportedly faced minimal resistance as they advanced through town.
The airport was the last important military barrier for the rebels before it reached Bukabu, a city of over a million people.
This development takes place during the continued African Union (AU) summit in Ethiopia. The DRC conflict has become an important topic of discussion at its annual two-day meeting.
Working on the summit, UN chief Antonio Guterres said “regional escalation must be avoided at any cost,” and said the DRC’s “territorial integrity” needs to be preserved. .
The AU has been criticized for its ti-sick approach, and observers demand more decisive action on the conflict.
Rwanda has rejected military support for the M23, but accused him of strengthening the DRC’s HUTU group. Last year, Kigali said it maintained around 4,000 soldiers in the DRC and effectively controlled the rebel group, according to a report by UN experts.
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