It is a dramatic escalation in the on-going war in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as Sunday morning saw Bukavu, the capital city of South Kivu province, seized by M23 rebels, who claim to be supported by Rwanda. The city population of around 1.3 million is captured in a very significant milestone along the rebels’ march and unprecedented defiance of Congo’s government.
M23 fighters swept into the city following a swift advance, encountering minimal resistance from Congolese army soldiers, many of whom they fled ahead of the rebel advance. The rebels, who have been active in the region for years, advanced into Bukavu from Goma, a nearby city that they captured toward the end of last month. As they moved down to the city center, several citizens were seeing the armed group in cheers, something that was monitored by international monitors like Associated Press journalists on ground. While there were deserted spots in Bukavu with its citizens huddled indoors, there were others seeing the rebels making their move within the city center.
Related
Dead Bodies litter the street as M23 Rebels Seize Goma in Intensifying Conflict
Gangsters killed NYSC Corp Member in Plateau State
The M23 rebel movement, made up of ethnic Tutsis and supported by Rwanda-backed aid, is one of the most powerful of the more than 100 militia groups battling to take control of the mineral-rich DRC east. The United Nations estimates Rwanda has provided the M23 with around 4,000 troops. Analysts have long argued that the aspirations of M23 rebels extend beyond ethnic protection to political coup in the area. Unlike their initial rebellion in 2012, where they took over Goma purely because of escalating ethnic tensions, the rebels’ current ambitions are being weighed as politically motivated.
On the battlefield, it was tight-lipped. While the DRC government claimed that Bukavu had been “briefly” under the control of the rebels, the absence of government forces in the majority of the city fueled widespread doubt. Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, who convened a security meeting in the capital, Kinshasa, acknowledged the loss of control in Bukavu but asserted that the city would be under ultimate control by Congolese authorities. Tshisekedi regretted the regional implications of M23’s heightened presence, especially the risk of greater destabilization in the wider Great Lakes region.
Related
Dead Bodies litter the street as M23 Rebels Seize Goma in Intensifying Conflict
Gangsters killed NYSC Corp Member in Plateau State
The fall of Bukavu is characterized by thousands of civilians fleeing homes in fear as government troops fled for shelter ahead of the attack. Looting of the streets of Bukavu was rampant with weapons abandoned by the army being stolen by civilians and local gangs. In the meantime, the United Nations puts the number of lives lost in the recent hostilities at almost 3,000 and more than 350,000 displaced, most of whom are currently taking refuge in makeshift camps with minimal to no access to necessities.
Global alarm at the stability of the DRC is growing as the fighting escalates. French President Emmanuel Macron, during a visit to the area, called for an immediate ceasefire, withdrawal of M23 rebels, and redeployment of Congolese troops to Bukavu. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, while speaking at an African Union summit simultaneously, warned that the situation in eastern DRC could spread into a full-scale regional war, destabilizing surrounding countries and even leading to the “balkanization” of the region.
The African Union called for immediate violence de-escalation and the removal of all foreign-backed rebel groups from the towns and cities they held. Yet despite worldwide condemnation, actual actions toward a ceasefire remain in the distance. M23 forces have taken control of key infrastructure such as the Bukavu airport, cementing further their hold over the region.
The background to this war lies in long-standing ethnic tensions in the DRC, tracing back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The M23 rebels claim that they are defending ethnic Tutsis in the eastern DRC, who are being attacked by Hutu militias, such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group made up of exiled Hutu militiamen who committed the 1994 genocide. Rwanda has supported the M23 in part because it sees the FDLR as a serious threat to its security along its borders.
Related
Dead Bodies litter the street as M23 Rebels Seize Goma in Intensifying Conflict
Gangsters killed NYSC Corp Member in Plateau State
The DRC government has, however, blamed Rwanda for attempting to destabilize the region for its strategic and economic purposes. Rwanda is believed to be pursuing control of the mineral-rich eastern DRC, which is full of holdings of resources essential to the world’s technology industry, including minerals used in batteries and electronics. The Congolese authorities have long blamed Rwanda for the violence in order to access the resources.
The international response to the crisis has largely been divided. France and the US, among others, have called for Rwanda to pull out its support for the M23 rebels, but Rwanda refutes the allegations, saying it only provides logistical support for the protection of Tutsi civilians from Hutu militia forces. The DRC government called for international intervention to end Rwanda’s involvement and restore order to the country’s eastern provinces.
But Burundi, which has assisted in providing military assistance to the DRC forces in South Kivu, keeps its distance, telling President Evariste Ndayishimiye that his country will not retaliate in battle. This is a commentary on the sentiments of Uganda, though, with the latter taking a stronger stance towards their own military operations in the nation. Ugandan forces have themselves been battling other armed groups, such as Islamist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militias, further into the nation to the north.
As the crisis continues to unravel, analysts warn that the takeover of Bukavu will provoke further violence and continue to escalate tensions in the region. The takeover of the city by M23 has solidified its hold on Lake Kivu, a key waterway in the center of Africa, following the takeover of Goma. With Burundian, South African, and Ugandan troops already deployed in the DRC, the chances for further escalation are at hand.
In response to mounting crisis, the international community, as well as the African Union, called for swift action to prevent an out-of-control situation from arising. The threat of regional war is still a very real possibility, and fear of “balkanization” in eastern DRC is growing. Up to Sunday, the Bukavu situation remained unstable, with the continued reports of shooting in the vicinity of military camps. M23 leaders have encouraged citizens to form vigilance committees to maintain order in the city, as well as to pull out Burundian troops supporting the Congolese military. The future of Bukavu, as well as the rest of the DRC, remains uncertain, with regional and international actors trying to figure out the best next step in reaction to the crises.
Related
Dead Bodies litter the street as M23 Rebels Seize Goma in Intensifying Conflict
Gangsters killed NYSC Corp Member in Plateau State
Reported by Alpha Emmannel and Edited by Mr. Chibueze Onwuka