A rebel group has said it has advanced into Bukavu, the second largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with residents reporting looting and fighters in the streets.
Rebel coalition, Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), which includes the M23 armed group, said in a statement Saturday it took control of the Kavumu airport in South Kivu and forced government forces to retreat “in disarray, abandoning the city of Bukavu,” the provincial capital.
There has been no confirmation from the DRC government and it is unclear from eyewitnesses reports how far the rebels have advanced in Bukavu.
The rapid advance into the city comes less than three weeks after the rebels claimed the takeover of Goma, the largest city and capital of the neighboring North Kivu province on January 27.
Fighting in Goma between the rebels and DRC’s military left more than 3,000 people dead, according to the government.
The DRC and many Western countries accuse its neighbor Rwanda of backing M23, which is comprised mainly of ethnic Tutsis who left the Congolese army more than a decade ago.
Since 2022, M23 – which claims to defend the interest of minority Rwandophone communities, including the Tutsis – has waged a renewed rebellion against the DRC government, occupying a large expanse in North Kivu, which borders Rwanda and Uganda.
Now a part of the AFC rebel alliance, the group has also taken over resource-rich communities in the east such as Nyabibwe and Rubaya, which harbors one of the world’s largest deposits of coltan, a valuable mineral used in the production of smartphones.
Calls for a ceasefire from foreign and regional leaders have failed to deter the rebels’ quest for territory.
Residents told Reuters they had seen M23 fighters on the streets but were yet to witness any fighting. Other sources told the news agency that the rebels were yet to enter the center of Bukavu.
“Their uniforms were different. We had been prepared since the daytime for their arrival … the FARDC (army soldiers) had left. There were no clashes,” one resident told Reuters, adding that she spotted the rebels from her window.
“They are looting depots, warehouses and commercial houses,” he said, accusing fleeing soldiers and civilians of carrying out the looting.
“We have no security,” Mapendano added.