The M-23 guerrillas takes the city of Bukavu and fears another massacre in the Congo

The rebel militias of the March 23 (M-23) movement, supported and financed by Rwanda, continue to advance in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and have already taken the city of Bukavu, capital of the province of Kivu Sur. In a new episode of their offensive against the Congolese government, they conquered on Friday the near Kavumu Airport, 20 kilometers from the city, where they entered at night and plan to complete their occupation this Saturday. This has announced it Corneille Nangaaleader of the Congo River Alliance that brings together this guerrillas, in statements to the Reuters agency.

Meanwhile, the mass exodus of Congolese continues that flee through the borders with Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania, mainly. According to sources cited by the Congolese station Radio Okapi, financed by the United Nations, the M-23 has entered the city, which has 1.7 million inhabitants, without finding resistance by the population or local armed forces, supported by Burundi Battalions and the patriotic rebel groups of the ‘Wazalendo’.

Previously, the M-23 had announced its control of the Kavumu airport, the main transport infrastructure of Bukavu and where its inhabitants fled before the arrival of the rebels. The capital of Kivu Sur has been objective since Tuesday of this new M-23 offensive after accusing the Congolese army and its allied militias of committing “atrocities” against the civilian population in the area.

A Bukavu doctor who prefers to maintain anonymity has confirmed to ABC that “indeed, the city of Bukavu has fallen into the hands of M-23. They are attacking us. My family and many others are now trapped at the border with Burundi, where they refuse to let them in. They spent the night on an island between the Congolese and Burundesa borders ». «Meanwhile, all our soldiers were held in Uvira, on the border between Burundi and the Congo. His intention is to sabotage Rwanda and enter her. The situation runs the risk of degenerating in a regional war, ”he adds.

From the Munich Security Conference, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Tshisekedidenounced this Friday the “expansionist” wishes of Rwanda and urged the international community to act against Kigali (Capital of Rwanda) to avoid a regional conflict. Due to the taking of Bukavu airport, he planned to cancel his assistance to the Summit of the African Union of this weekend in Ethiopia to return to his country and face this serious situation.

According to the spokeswoman for the United Nations Agency for Refugees (UNHCR), Eujin Byunmore than half of the help groups in Kivu Sur have reported that they cannot reach people in need due to insecurity and continuous displacement. In Kivu Norte, the destruction of sanitary facilities and collapsed hospitals increases the risk of propagation of infectious diseases such as cholera, malaria and measles.

Bukavu’s taking is produced after the M-23 was also done a week and a half ago with rubber, the capital of Kivu del Norte, where it is estimated that they died between 3,000 and 5,000 people. International analysts have accused M-23, backed by the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagameto want to annex the east of the Congo to take over the country’s mining wealth, which has 80% of the world reserves of Coltán, with which the batteries of electric cars, mobiles and ‘tablets’ are manufactured. After the genocide of Rwanda in 1994, the wars in this region of the great Lakes of Africa have left more than six million dead.