M23 claims Bukavu residents were left unprotected #rwanda #RwOT

A statement signed by AFC/M23's political spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, on February 16, 2025, says that the group took this decision after Bukavu residents had been abandoned by the Congolese army coalition, which includes forces from the DRC, Burundi, the FDLR genocidal militia, and other armed groups.

'Since the morning of February 16, 2025, our forces have been making every effort to restore security for the population and their belongings. The mission has been successfully accomplished, and all civilians have been rescued,' the statement read in part.

This intervention comes eight days after a meeting was held in Tanzania, bringing together heads of state from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

During this meeting, it was agreed that the Kinshasa government and M23 should engage in direct negotiations to find a lasting solution to the insecurity in eastern DRC.

Upton the capture of Bukavu, the AFC/M23 reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue as a means to address the root causes of the conflict and achieve lasting peace in the DRC.

M23 says Bukavu residents had been abandoned by the Congolese army coalition.

The group also called upon political movements and armed groups that seek to protect civilians but oppose Kinshasa's administration to join their struggle for governance reform in the DRC.

The rebels further emphasized that as long as the Congolese army and its allied militias continue attacking civilians, efforts to establish a ceasefire will remain in jeopardy. However, they reiterated that a ceasefire could serve as a gateway to lasting peace in the second-largest African country.

The group vowed to continue fulfilling its duty to protect civilians and the territories it has already liberated from violence orchestrated by the Kinshasa government and its allies.

On February 16, M23's military spokesperson, Lt. Col. Willy Ngoma, stated that Bukavu residents were experiencing a sense of liberation, hinting that the city had been taken over.

As M23 fighters stormed Bukavu, Congolese security forces guarding the border on the DRC side reportedly abandoned their duties and fled. M23 has now taken control of the Rusizi I border crossing on the DRC side after capturing Bukavu.

Currently, M23 controls all borders between the DRC and Rwanda following the capture of Goma on January 27, 2025, as Congolese government forces retreated.

This intervention in Bukavu comes just two days after M23 announced the capture of Kavumu, a town in South Kivu Province, along with its airport.