Fight for Bukavu: M23 militia takes over strategic city in the east Congo!

Fight for Bukavu: M23 militia takes over strategic city in the east Congo!

Bukavu, Demokratische Republik Kongo - In the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the M23 militia, together with soldiers from Rwanda, has conquered the strategically important provincial capital Bukavu. The offensive, which took place on Friday, followed the take of Goma, a city in the neighboring province of North-Kivu, a good two weeks ago. According to reports, the M23 fighters have entered Bukavu without any noteworthy resistance after many leading military and representatives of the state administration left the city at an early stage. The shops were closed and the residents have entrenched themselves in their houses, as the spokesman for the civil society umbrella organization in Bukavu, Samy Jean Takimbala, explained. The Congolese soldiers also fled the city shortly afterwards, as Human Rights activists OBED Muta reported. These developments underline the increasing control of the M23 on the raw material-rich region of southern Kivu, such as vienna.at

The struggle for soil treasures

Control over Bukavu, a city with about one million inhabitants, is of strategic importance, since the region is rich in minerals such as Coltan, Gold and cobalt. According to Tagesspiegel, the city airport was already taken by the attackers. The M23 has deployed local authorities in the areas it conquered and charges taxes to finance its military approach. Her political leader Corneille Nangaa announced the intention of conquering other cities in order to push the Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi out of office. This Situation could lead to a further escalation of the conflicts in the region and significantly tighten the humanitarian situation of the population.