Conflict escalates dangerously in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Earlier in the day, the army confirmed that M23 fighters had taken control of Kavumu airport, about 30 kilometers north of Bukavu, and that government forces had withdrawn. The takeover of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, represents an unprecedented expansion of territory under the control of the armed opposition group since the last uprising began in 2022. The developments on February 14 also marked a setback for the Kinshasa government’s authority in the east.

Government troops in Bukavu left on February 14.

"We entered Bukavu this afternoon (February 14), and tomorrow we will continue the operation to cleanse the city," AFP quoted Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, which includes M23. The UN representative said that since February 13, a stream of evacuees has been observed moving towards the city, which has a population of nearly 1.3 million people.

As fighting continues in the east, the capital Kinshasa is under increased military protection, according to AFP. President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Felix Tshisekedi is seeking an international solution in the hope of ending the crisis, which he said was sparked by the Rwandan-backed M23 group seeking to seize the resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference (Germany) on February 14, Mr. Tshisekedi warned of the risk of the conflict spreading beyond the border and called for international sanctions against Rwanda to punish it.

However, Rwanda has denied the accusations and said that its national security is also facing threats from armed groups. Neither President Tshisekedi nor his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame attended an emergency meeting of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council held on February 14 to find a solution to the conflict. Mr. Tshisekedi was also absent from the AU summit in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) on February 15 because he needed to follow the situation on the ground in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/xung-dot-leo-thang-nguy-hiem-o-chdc-congo-185250215211853869.htm