The M23 rebels supported in Rwanda entered Bukava, the second largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, seizing the Office of the Regional Governor.
Some lined up the streets to clap and cheer the fighters as they marched and entered the city center without resistance. It is the second city after Goma has fallen on rebels in a mineral -rich region in the last few weeks.
The Congregium Government acknowledged its decline and invited residents to stay at home “to avoid the occupation forces target them.”
The UN and European countries have warned that the latest offensive, which has been recorded by hundreds of thousands of people forced from their homes, could cause a wider regional war.
The Bukavu resident, who asked to remain anonymous for caring for his safety, told the BBC Sunday that most people were still afraid to leave their homes.
“From yesterday, the children and the young men took their weapons. They shoot everywhere in all directions, they rob,” she said.
“This morning, the M23 came in and people confessed to them, very happy to see them. We do not know if it is because they are afraid or because they have discovered that there is no government in the city.
“A place where I live a crackling [gunfire] It is still heard. “
On Friday, the M23 captured the main Bukava Airport, which is located about 30 km (18 miles) north of the city – and then began to slowly progress to the city, which is the capital of the South -Kiva province.
The provincial governor, Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki, confirmed to the Reuters news agency that the fighters were downtown Bukava until Sunday morning, adding that the Congonic troops had withdrawn to avoid urban struggles.
This on Saturday left a security vacuum in the city with chaotic scenes, including a reported prison break from a central prison.
The UN World Food Program (WFP) said a warehouse with almost 7000 tons of food was robbed.
The city of about two million people on the southern peak of Lake Kiva borders Rwanda and is an important transit place for local mineral trade.
Its decline is an unprecedented spread of the territory for the M23 since their latest rebellion began at the end of 2021 – and was a blow to the Government of President Félix Tshiseekedi.
Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said Rwanda violates the territorial integrity of Dr. Congo through expansionist ambitions and a violation of human rights.
The Kongoj Government accuses Rwanda of sowing chaos in the region – as well as having troops on the field – so it can benefit from its natural resources, which nurses.
President Tshiseekedi wants his colleague from Rwanda Paul Kagama to confront sanctions on the latest unrest.
But President Kagama rejected such threats – and repeatedly pointed out that Rwanda’s main priority was his safety.
It has long been angry with what he considers to be the failure of the Congolian authorities to deal with the FDR Rebel Group based in the DR Congo, which he considers the danger for Rwanda.
The group consists of some members of the ethnic militia Hutu accused of involvement in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, when more than 100 days were killed about 800,000 people, mostly from the Tutsi ethnic group.
Troops from the M23 under the leadership of Tusti gathered on Sunday on the Place de l’Edépendance in the central bukavu, where one of his commanders, Bernard Byamong, was recorded with the locals and answered their questions in Swahili.
He called on the government’s forces “hiding in the houses” of surrendering – and accused the army, who pulled the army the spread of terror by arming local young people who went on the rampage of the robbery.
The African Union (Au) – which kept the heads of state summit in Ethiopia this weekend – again invited M23 to be disarmed.
“We are all very, very concerned about the open regional war,” Reuters quotes Au -O’s peace and safety commissioner Adeo.
