Dr. Congo M23 fighters take away the Bukava Airport before the African Union Summit | News
Kongovo President Felix Tshisekedi traveled to Germany to attend the Munich conference on security in an effort to gather international support
M23 fighters supported in Rwanda claim that they have taken control of the airport Kavum, which served Bukava, the capital of the South Kivo Province, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The airport, which is primarily used for non -governmental organizations and military flights and where DRC troops were stationed, was the last significant military barrier for rebel forces before reaching the city of more than one million people – the second largest in the region – which is 30 km (19 miles) away.
The rebels allegedly faced minimal resistance as they progressed through the city, and the AFP news agency reported that the Congole’s military staff had left the airport and retreated to Bukava.
Reuters news agency reported that the rebels fighters also took control of Katan, a city approximately 11 km (7 miles) from the airport.
The movement comes before the Summit of the African Union, which starts on Saturday in Ethiopia.
The conflict at DrC will be a key topic of discussion at an annual two-day meeting. Congoa President Felix Tshiseacedi was expected to attend a summit, but now the prime minister of the country is planned to replace him.
Tshiseekedi attended a conference on security in Munich, Germany, in an effort to receive more international support, according to a statement of the Presidency at the Social Media on Friday.
Earlier this month, the AFC/m23 rebel coalition announced that she would spend One -sided truce but he continued the fight after a two -day swelling.
Going to the Chairman of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahammat, AFP said in the Eastern DRC “must be noticed”, adding that “military campaigns will not solve these problems.”
At the end of January, the M23 fighters launched a quick offensive and seized Goma, a provincial capital of North Kiva. Since then, the troops have been pushing south towards Bukavu, seen as a strategic stronghold. The rebels sought to move south after their capture of Gom, the largest city in the east.
The UN Refugee Agency says that the situation is “deteriorating quickly”, noting that the conflict is about 350,000 people in progress.
After the fall of Goma, the protests broke out in the capital of Kinshas, where the demonstrators attacked the Union of the UN -A several embassies, including those from Rwanda, France, Kenya and the United States, in response to what they considered foreign interference.