The M23 rebels participated on Rwanda entered Bukov, the second largest city of the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, seizing the regional governor’s office.
Some people lined up on the street to clap their hands and cheer the fighters as they moved and drove to the city center without resistance. This is the second city after Homo got into the rebels in the region, a rich mineral over the past few weeks.
The Congolese government recognized its fall and urged residents to stay at home “to avoid targeting the occupation forces.”
The UN and Europeans have warned that the last offensive, which saw hundreds of thousands of people forced from their homes, could cause a wider regional war.
A resident in Bukava, who asked to remain an unknown because of his concern, said the BBC on Sunday that most people were still afraid to leave their homes.
“Since yesterday, children and youth have taken their weapons. They shoot everywhere in all directions, they were robbing,” she said.
“This morning M23 entered, and they were recognized by people, very pleased to see them. We do not know whether they are afraid or because they found that there was no city.
“The place where I live in cod (fire) can still be heard.”
On Friday, M23 captured Bukov’s main airport, which is about 30 km (18 miles) north of the city – and then began to move slowly towards the city, which is the capital of the South Kiva province.
Jean-Jacques Purusy Sadika, Governor of Jean-Jacques, confirmed the Reuters agency, which was in the city center of Bukov until Sunday morning, adding that the Congolese troops refused to avoid fighting the city.
On Saturday, this left a vacuum of security in the city when the chaotic scenes were played, including the report in prison.
The UN World Food Program (WFP) was plundered with almost 7,000 tons of food.
The city of about two million people on the southern tip of Lake Kiva borders with Rwanda and is an important transit point for local mineral trade.
Its fall is an unprecedented expansion of the territory for M23, as their last uprising began at the end of 2021 – and a blow to the government of President Felix Tshasecki.
Government press secretary Patrick Muya said Rwanda violates Dr. Congo’s territorial integrity through expansionist ambitions and human rights abuses.
The Congolese government accuses Ruanda of the chaos in the region – as well as the presence of troops on Earth – so this can benefit from its natural resources denies.
President Tshasecki wants his Rwandan colleagues Paul Kagam to face sanctions on recent unrest.
But the President of Kagam released such threats – and repeatedly noted that his safety was the main priority.
He has long been angry with what he sees as a failure by the Congolese Congo, based on the Fldr Rebel Group, which he perceives as a danger to Rwanda.
The group consists of some members of the ethnic hut, accused of participating in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda when about 100 days killed about 800,000, mainly from the Tutsi ethnic group.
On Sunday, troops from M23 led TUSTI gathered at the place de L’Aanded in Central Bukov, where one of his commanders, Bernard Bemung, was shot in a chat with the locals and answered his questions in Swahili.
He urged government forces to “hide in the houses” to surrender – and accused the abolition of the military of distributing terror, armed with local young men who went for robbery.
The African Union (AU), which holds this weekend, heads of the state summit in Ethiopia – again urged M23 to disarm.
“We are all very, very concerned about the open regional war,” Reuters quotes the Odeo Bankol.
