Rwanda Backed Rebels Take Over Major City In Congo

M23, a Rwanda backed rebels group has occupied a second major city in the mineral-rich eastern Congo, the government said on Sunday. The group confirmed they were in the city to restore order after it was abandoned by Congolese forces, a scramble for power that has displaced more than 6 million people in the region, creating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

The M23 is the most well-known of over 100 armed organisations fighting for control of the trillions of dollars in mineral wealth in eastern Congo, which is essential for a large portion of global technology. According to the United Nations experts, the rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighbouring Rwanda.

By Gamuchirai Mapako

Bernard Maheshe Byamungu, one of the M23 leaders under sanctions by the U.N. Security Council for rights abuses, stood in front of the South Kivu governor’s office in Bukavu and told residents they have been living in a ‘jungle’. in a statement on social media Congo’s communications ministry acknowledged that Bukavu had been “occupied” and added that the national government was doing everything possible to restore order and territorial integrity in the region.

The conflict in Congo is tied to a decades long ethnic conflict. In Congo, the M23 claims to be protecting ethnic Tutsis. According to Rwanda, Hutus and former militias that carried out the 1994 genocide against 800,000 Tutsis and others are persecuting the Tutsis. Following the genocide, a large number of Hutus fled to Congo and established the militant group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda. The Congolese military disputes Rwanda’s claim that the militia group is “fully integrated”.

However, Felix Tshisekedi, the president of Congo, has issued a warning about the possibility of a regional conflict expansion. On Saturday, his government said that Bukavu was still under its control. While South African and Burundian troops were supporting Congo’s forces in Goma and Bukavu, respectively, Burundi’s president, Evariste Ndayishimiye, seemed to imply on social media that his nation would not react in the conflict.

The conflict was a top priority at the African Union meeting in Ethiopia over the weekend, with the António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, warned that it could turn into a regional conflict. Despite this, the international world and African governments have been hesitant to move decisively against Rwanda, which has one of the strongest militaries in Africa, or M23. The majority still demand a truce and communication between the rebels and Congo.