Since late last month, Rwanda-backed rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have tightened their hold on Bukavu, the second major city to fall under the control of the country’s east.
On Sunday, M23 rebels seized the city’s 1.3 million-person population after Congolese forces abandoned it.
The capital of the DRC’s South Kivu province, Bukavu lies 101km (63 miles) south of Goma, which was captured by the rebels in late January.
Residents of Bukavu tried to leave, but looters filled the streets with what they could find as the rebels made their way into the city.
Residents and business owners sat in silence as M23’s entrance to the city center was anticipated.
As the rebels scurried through major city intersections on Monday morning, people gradually started to leave.
On Monday morning, most stores and stores in Bukavu were closed as were most of the country’s border crossing to Rwanda as traffic grew more and more congested.
In the eastern DRC, M23 is the most active of more than 100 armed groups fighting for control of trillions of dollars worth of minerals. Those minerals are critical for much of the world’s technology.
The rebels are supported by about 4, 000 troops from neighbouring Rwanda, according to United Nations experts.
The M23’s push has drawn international concern, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying that a “regional escalation must be avoided at all costs”.
Source: Aljazeera
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