CNN
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Rebel groups have entered Bukabu, the second largest city in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), saying residents are reporting looting and fighter jets on the streets.
The Alliance Fluve Congo (AFC) rebel coalition, which includes the M23 armed groups, ruled Kabum airport in South Kivu and forced government forces to retreat “in chaos and abandon Bukabu city.” did. The capital of the state.
There was no confirmation from the DRC government, but it is unclear whether witnesses will report how far the rebels have progressed in Bukabu.
The rapid advance into the city takes place less than three weeks after the rebels claimed to buy Goma, the largest city and capital of neighbouring North Kivu province on January 27th.
More than 3,000 people have died in fighting in Goma between rebels and DRC forces, according to the government.
The DRC and many Western countries have accused neighbor Rwanda of supporting the M23, which is primarily made up of ethnic Tutsi people who left the Congolese army more than a decade ago.
However, Rwandan President Paul Kagame told CNN this month he was unaware of whether his country’s military is in the DRC.
Since 2022, M23, which claims to defend the interests of minority Rwand-Pon communities, including Tutsis, has launched a new rebellion against the DRC government, occupying a major spread in the North Kivu, Rwanda and Uganda.
The group, currently part of the AFC Rebel Alliance, is a resource-rich community in the eastern region, including Nyabibwe and Rubaya, which have one of the world’s largest sediments of Koltan, a valuable mineral used to produce smartphones. It is also taking over.
Calls for a ceasefire from foreign and local leaders have failed to block rebel quests of territory.
Victor Tesongo, a spokesman for the AFC Rebel Alliance, told CNN that the alleged captures of Goma and Bukavu marked the group’s biggest territorial acquisition. Cities with a co-population of over 3 million are the most populous cities in the DRC.
DRC Army spokesman Sylvain Ekenge Ekenge told Reuters on Friday that government forces retreated from Bukabu after rebels occupied the airport. CNN approached DRC authorities to comment on the rebel claims.
Residents told Reuters they saw the M23 fighter jet on the streets but have not yet witnessed the fight. Other sources told news outlets that rebels are not yet in Bukabu’s centre.
“Their uniforms were different. We were prepared for their arrival in the daytime… Fard (Army soldier) had left. One resident told Reuters, and she was out of the window. He added that he found a rebel.
Another Bukabu resident David Mapendeno told CNN on Saturday afternoon he hadn’t seen any rebels on the streets yet, but added that widespread looting has been experienced in the city.
“They are looting looters, warehouses, businessmen,” he said.
“There’s no security,” Mapendano added.
