Chaos erupted in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Saturday as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advanced toward the city’s outskirts, heightening fears of an expanded regional conflict. The rebels, who seized Goma last month, pushed south, reaching Bagira, a northern suburb of Bukavu, but did not enter the city centre, according to eyewitness reports.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Prime Minister Judith Suminwa reiterated Congo’s position on territorial integrity, demanding the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from Congolese territory. “We are asking for one thing and cannot accept anything else,” she told Reuters.
Tensions soared after Uganda’s army chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, threatened to attack Bunia unless all forces in the area surrendered within 24 hours, fueling fears of a broader conflict similar to the 1990s and 2000s wars that claimed millions of lives. Although Uganda officially supports Congo’s fight against Islamist militants, UN experts allege it has also backed the Tutsi-led M23 rebels.
Meanwhile, unrest spread throughout Bukavu, with the World Food Programme (WFP) reporting the looting of its 6,800 metric tons of food from a depot. Social media footage verified by Reuters showed crowds carrying sacks of food from the warehouse.
Additionally, the city’s main prison was emptied, with some prisoners freed by soldiers, while others escaped during the unrest, according to a provincial official and a Congolese army source.
M23 rebel alliance leader Corneille Nangaa claimed that M23 forces had entered Bukavu and would continue their operations, though sources from M23 and local officials disputed this claim, saying the rebels had not entered the city centre.
Concerns grew over a possible carnage in Bukavu, similar to the situation in Goma, where over 3,000 people were killed before the city fell to M23, according to the United Nations. Congolese soldiers set fire to a weapons depot at their base on Saturday morning in an effort to prevent the rebels from gaining more ground.
The potential capture of Bukavu, home to two million people, would mark M23’s most significant gain since it resumed its insurgency in 2022, diminishing Kinshasa’s control over the mineral-rich region.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for diplomacy to avert a broader conflict, warning, “As more cities fall, the risk of regional war rises. It is time to silence the gun, it is time for diplomacy and dialogue.”
In the wake of the escalating violence, France and Belgium condemned the M23 offensive, while Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, who has refused direct talks with M23, cancelled his appearance at the African Union (AU) summit and returned to Kinshasa from the Munich Security Conference.
