Focus on the BIG picture.
Thursday, Jul 17, 2025

M23 Rebels Capture Bukavu Amid Escalating Violence in Eastern DRC

M23 Rebels Capture Bukavu Amid Escalating Violence in Eastern DRC

The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group advances into Bukavu, further destabilizing the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Rebels from the M23 group, supported by Rwanda, have made significant advances in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), culminating in their entry into Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province.

Over the past few days, M23 fighters have moved southward, entering the Kazingu and Bagira zones of the city, which has a population of approximately 1 million.

Reports indicate that gunfire erupted as the rebels approached the city center, although they faced minimal resistance, prompting shops and businesses to close and civilians to flee.

This strategic move comes on the heels of the group’s recent capture of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, in a rapid offensive reminiscent of their previous seizure of Kabamba and the key commercial center of Katana along the N2 road.

Local residents reported that M23 forces are blocking roads and have effectively taken control of Kavumu airport.

Airport personnel noted that the facility has been emptied of Congolese military equipment, as troops evacuate back to Bukavu with personal belongings.

The capture of Bukavu would grant the M23 comprehensive control over the Lake Kivu region, amplifying concerns over the sustained instability in eastern DRC.

Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance—a coalition including M23—claims that these recent offensives are defensive in nature against militia attacks.

In the broader context, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi is attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany to garner international support against the ongoing conflict, while Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka represents him at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa.

Fighting in eastern DRC has intensified over the past three years, exacerbating a dire humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations reports that clashes have led to the destruction of approximately 70,000 emergency shelters across Goma and Minova, displacing around 350,000 people.

The M23 group is part of a series of Tutsi-led insurgent factions that have emerged in the resource-rich eastern region of the DRC, particularly following a 2003 peace deal aimed at ceasing conflicts that resulted in millions of deaths primarily due to hunger and disease.

Rwanda claims its involvement is focused on neutralizing fighters associated with the 1994 genocide, while the DRC government and multiple UN reports suggest Rwanda is exploiting the situation to access valuable minerals.

The conflict has attracted military involvement from various countries, including those participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Recently, Canada withdrew its military personnel, citing increasing security risks in Goma.

In a related tragic development, Delphin Katembo Vinywasiki, a renowned Congolese musician better known as Delcat Idengo, was killed in Goma while filming a music video.

Witnesses reported that he was shot in the head, with social media images depicting his body in military attire.

Vinywasiki was previously imprisoned for allegedly inciting violence against UN peacekeepers.

DRC government spokesman Patrick Muyaya condemned the killing, describing it as an abhorrent act and asserting that violence will not extinguish the resistance against ongoing conflicts in Goma and across the DRC.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
House GOP Blocks Second Democratic Bid to Release Epstein Documents
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Provocative Times Square Billboard Urges New Yorkers to ‘Move to Ohio’ Over Mamdani
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Lawmakers Report Overcrowded Conditions at Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Facility
Taiwan’s Distant‑Water Fishing Industry Under Scrutiny for Migrant Worker Abuse
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
GAO Report Identifies Major Failures by Secret Service Ahead of Trump Rally Shooting
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
U.S. State Department Initiates Layoffs of Over 1,300 Employees
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Trump Administration Targets Chinese Influence in Agriculture
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
×