The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC) has affirmed that the capital of Kivu Sur, Bukavu, which was announced as conquered by the militia of the March 23 movement (M23), is under the control of the Congolese army and the groups of self -defense Congolese Wazalendo.
“The city of Bukavu (Kivu Sur), briefly invaded by the terrorists of the M23, is controlled by the Congolese army and the brave Wazalendo,” said the Congolese presidency in a statement in his account of social network X.
The president of RDC, Félix Tshisekedi, has examined “the evolution of military operations and humanitarian challenges in the provinces of Kivu Norte and Kivu Sur”.
During his participation this Saturday at the 61st Munich Conference on Security, the president, according to the statement, “received the support of many European Union member countries, which clearly condemned Rwanda’s criminal actions in RDC and are working on the establishment of appropriate sanctions against the Kigali regime. ”
Contradict what is said by the M23
The statements of the Congolese presidency contrast with what was announced by the M23, which reported this Saturday of his conquest of Bukavu in the culmination of an offensive, they assured, caused by the RDC army and its “attacks against the civilian population.”
Although the M23 had assured at the beginning of the month that it had no intention of attacking the city, the political extension of the militia, the Congo River alliance, denounced that the army’s “attacks” led the guerrillas first to assume control of the nearby Kavumu Airport-who “the Army used to launch air attacks against the population,” according to the group- before taking the city.
After their defeat in Kavumu, the Army and its allies, according to the militias, “they left the city of Bukavu after participating in looting and other abuses.”
The rebel group, mainly made up of Congolese Tutsis, launched this new offensive in the late 2022 in the rupture of the fragile peace agreement that ended a previous stage of the conflict between 2012 and 2013.
Rwanda is criticism of providing logistical support, material and effective to M23. The Ruandés government rejects these accusations and indicates in its place the Congolese authorities to repress the Congolese tutsis with the support of armed groups such as the democratic forces for the liberation of Rwand 1994- and other local militias.