M23 rebels advance into eastern Congo's strategic city of Bukavu

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels advanced on Sunday into the centre of Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, meeting little resistance from government troops, witnesses and the armed group said.

The rebels have been seeking to seize the strategic city since taking the city of Goma in late January. Bukavu's fall, if confirmed, marks the armed group's most significant advance since it revived a decade-old insurgency in east Congo in 2022.

Late on Saturday, the Congolese presidency said the provincial capital remained under the control of its troops and allied forces, but by early on Sunday the rebels had advanced into central Bukavu, said residents and a local official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.

M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma told Reuters the militia was in the city and posted a photo on the X social media platform of a group of fighters posing in the provincial capital's central Independence Square.

Congo's army and the government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The rebels' rapid advance since the start of the year and the involvement of troops from neighbouring countries have stoked fears of a broader regional war in a conflict rooted in tensions over power, identity and resources dating back to the 1990s Rwandan genocide.

Congo is the world's top producer of tantalum and cobalt, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones. It is also the third global copper producer and home to significant coltan, lithium, tin, tungsten, and gold deposits.

Bukavu residents said on Sunday they had seen M23 troops passing through central districts since the early morning with no sign of opposition. At one point, intermittent gunshots could be heard from Camp Saio, Bukavu's main military camp, two people living nearby told Reuters.

Videos verified by Reuters showed M23 fighters in fatigues parading and speaking to locals in Independence Square and outside the provincial governor's office. Some locals welcomed the rebels with cheers and applause.

In another video, shared by the M23, one of its military commanders tells a group of cheering residents to leave the streets, saying operations were still ongoing.

"Go home. Let us finish the job and after three hours you can go for a walk," said commander Bernard Byamungu.

On Saturday, a Congolese army officer told Reuters soldiers were evacuating from Bukavu in order to avoid "carnage" like that seen in Goma. About 3,000 people were killed in the days preceding Goma's capture, according to the United Nations.

The soldiers' gradual departure in recent days led to a power vacuum, triggering looting and a prison break on Saturday.

M23's arrival has been welcomed by some in Bukavu, who hope the rebels will restore order, said Congolese researcher Josaphat Musamba, who is from South Kivu.

The bloodshed in Goma and the presence of troops from Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda in eastern Congo have fanned fears of a wider war like two that devastated the region between 1996 and 2003, costing millions of lives.

The ongoing insurgency has also deepened an already dire humanitarian crisis in eastern provinces. The "rapidly deteriorating" situation has left about 350,000 displaced people with no roof over their heads, the UN refugee agency warned on Friday.

The well-equipped M23 is the latest in a long line of ethnic Tutsi-led rebel movements to emerge in Congo's volatile east. Congo's government says it is a Rwandan proxy, which the rebel group and Rwanda deny.