Rwanda-backed rebels advance in direction of Bukavu

There was fierce combating as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advance in direction of the second-largest metropolis in jap Democratic Republic of Congo, marking an additional escalation within the area’s battle.

M23 fighters have been transferring south, in direction of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, after capturing the most important metropolis within the area, Goma.

The Congolese military has arrange a line of defense on the highway between the 2 cities, based on the AFP information company.

Earlier this week, the M23 group vowed to proceed their offensive till they reached the capital, Kinshasa, which is 2,600km (1,600 miles) away.

Tons of of civilian volunteers have been enlisted to defend Bukavu.

One younger man instructed the AFP: “I’m able to die for my nation.”

South Kivu governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki instructed Reuters information company the Congolese military and their allies had been holding again the rebels. However the BBC has not been capable of confirm this.

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the nation’s international minister, instructed the BBC that Rwanda was illegally occupying the Democratic Republic of Congo and making an attempt to orchestrate regime change.

Ms Wagner mentioned the world had allowed Rwandan President Paul Kagame many years of impunity and failure to carry him accountable for violating worldwide legislation.

Rwanda’s authorities spokeswoman Yolande Makolo denied the accusation and mentioned its troops had been solely deployed to forestall the battle spilling over to its territory.

“We’re not thinking about warfare, we’re not thinking about annexation, we’re not thinking about regime change,” Ms Makolo instructed the BBC’s Newsday programme.

The Southern African Growth Group (Sadc), a regional bloc made up of 16 members, is holding a particular assembly on Friday in Zimbabwe to debate the scenario in DR Congo.

Sadc has despatched peacekeeping troops, primarily from South Africa, to DR Congo to fight armed teams just like the M23 and restore peace within the mineral-rich area after many years of unrest.

Sixteen troopers from southern African international locations have been killed in clashes with the M23 round Goma previously week.

In a public spat on X along with his South African counterpart, Rwanda’s President Kagame mentioned the Sadc troops had been “not a peacekeeping drive, and it has no place on this scenario”.

The combating has worsened the humanitarian disaster in jap DR Congo because the M23 has captured giant areas of North Kivu province, round Goma.

Shelley Thakral, from the UN’s World Meals Programme (WFP) mentioned the town’s residents had been working out of meals, clear water and medical provides.

“The provision chain has actually been strangled in the intervening time if you concentrate on land entry, air entry, when every little thing is closed down,” she instructed the AFP information company.

Because the begin of 2025, greater than 400,000 folks have been pressured from their houses, based on the UN’s refugee company.

Spokesperson for the UN Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights Jeremy Laurence mentioned there had been reviews of sexual violence by Congolese troops.

There are reviews that not less than 50 ladies had been raped, some by a number of males, in South Kivu, he mentioned.

The M23 has additionally killed not less than 12 folks in abstract executions because the disaster began, based on the UN.

The Rwandan spokesperson asserted that the nation’s troops had been securing their borders in response to “repeated violations”, together with 15 deaths, from cross-border shelling.

“The DRC must do a greater job of getting their territory so as. That’s their duty,” she mentioned.

Ms Makolo added that Rwanda was inserting “closely defensive mechanisms, and offensive mechanisms” alongside the border to safeguard its funding.

She additionally mentioned that Rwanda was involved concerning the presence in DR Congo of militias answerable for the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and which wished to return to Rwanda to “end the job”. She accused the Congolese authorities of working with these teams.

The Congolese international minister additionally accused Rwanda of occupying DR Congo to be able to exploit its huge mineral assets, akin to gold and coltan, which is used to make batteries for cell phones and electrical automobiles.

“I feel that Rwanda should be below an embargo for all of its mineral exportations, they shouldn’t be benefiting from what has been mined illegally and below pressured labour within the jap DRC,” she mentioned.

This was denied by Ms Makolo.

Ms Wagner known as for a halt to international assist being despatched to Rwanda and sanctions to be positioned on the leaders “enabling this warfare”.

International donors, just like the UK and Germany, have already threatened to droop assist.

She additionally known as for Rwanda’s troops to be suspended from UN peacekeeping missions all over the world.

“Now we have to witness a rustic that presents itself as a peace-bringer in different international locations, be(ing) a warmonger within the Nice Lakes area,” she mentioned.

UN consultants mentioned final yr that Rwanda had between 3,000 and 4,000 troops working alongside the M23 in jap DR Congo.

Human Rights Watch has warned of escalating dangers to civilians as DR Congo’s military battle the M23 rebels. The humanitarian group has accused either side of committing grave abuses in opposition to civilians.

UN Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres has warned that the present battle dangers escalating right into a broader regional warfare.

Uganda’s military has mentioned it’s going to strengthen its defences alongside the border with DR Congo in response to the elevated combating.

DR Congo is an enormous nation, about two-thirds the scale of Western Europe, which borders 9 completely different international locations.

Earlier conflicts within the nation, within the Nineties, have drawn in a number of neighbours and had been dubbed “Africa’s World Wars”.