M23 rebels have taken control of the strategic Kavumu airport that serves Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, the rebel group and a civil security source said Friday. The rebels also seized the town of Katana.
The Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have attacked Congolese government forces in the South Kivu province, breaking a two-day lull in fighting. Heavy shelling began on Tuesday morning, three days after a summit of East and Southern African leaders called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
The M23 rebels entered the city's Kazingu and Bagira zone and were advancing towards the center of the city of about 1.3 million people, according to Jean Samy, vice-president of the civil society in South Kivu.
In the North and South Kivu provinces, we are receiving horrific reports of grave violations against children by parties to the conflict,’ says UN agency’s executive director
On 14 February, the M23 rebels, backed by the Rwandan army, seized control of Kavumu Airport, located about 30 kilometres from the provincial capital of South Kivu.
Rwanda tightens its grip over eastern Congo
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UN Security Council Condemns Rwanda for Eastern Congo Violence
UN Security Council calls on Rwanda to pull troops from Congo
The United Nations Security Council on Friday called on Rwanda's military to stop supporting the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and immediately withdraw all troops from Congolese territory "without preconditions.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) strongly condemned the looting of its warehouses in Bukavu, South Kivu, amid escalating violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
M23 rebels have advanced into the centre of Bukavu, South Kivu’s capital, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Al Jazeera on MSN8d
DR Congo’s M23 rebels enter centre of strategic city Bukavu: ReportLocal officials and witnesses report seeing rebels enter the eastern DRC’s second largest city after a rapid advance.
The rebels, who captured Goma last month, are advancing south toward Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu. If they succeed, it would mark a major territorial gain and further weaken Kinshasa's control in the east.
M23 seized Goma, the biggest city in eastern Congo, in late January and then took control of South Kivu provincial capital Bukavu over the weekend. "The Burundian troops are withdrawing from Democratic Republic of Congo.
If the rebels capture the capital of South Kivu province, it would represent an unprecedented expansion of territory under their control Rwandan-backed M23 rebels appeared on Friday to be closing in on eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's second-largest city,
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