
Congo’s military, with support from Burundian forces, has managed to slow the southern advance of Rwandan-backed M23 rebels aiming to expand their control over eastern Congo. This comes after the rebels took Goma, a strategically significant city in the region, earlier this week, before setting their sights on Bukavu in neighboring South Kivu province.
Despite initial gains, Congolese troops, bolstered by Burundian soldiers and local militia, appear to have successfully repelled the rebel assault. According to South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki and multiple sources, an estimated 1,500 fighters, including Congolese and Burundian forces, along with local militias, have been stationed near Nyabibwe, about 50 km from Bukavu, to defend the area.
One African diplomat noted the high risk of the conflict escalating into a regional war, as military engagements already involve Rwandan, Congolese, and Burundian forces in eastern Congo. Tensions remain high, as the M23’s latest offensive threatens to reignite the broader regional conflict that ravaged the region from 1996 to 2003.
The M23, a Tutsi-led group with backing from Rwanda, has historically emerged in Congo’s eastern borderlands in the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. While Kigali denies allegations from U.N. investigators claiming it has sent troops and military equipment to support the rebels, their presence is evident in the ongoing clashes.
The situation remains volatile as relations between Rwanda and Burundi continue to deteriorate. Both countries have a history of hostility, and direct military confrontations between their forces in Congo would greatly exacerbate the tensions.
M23 spokesperson Willy Nangaa claimed that thousands of Burundian soldiers were fighting alongside the Congolese army in the region, a statement supported by U.N. sources who estimate that several thousand Burundian troops have been deployed, particularly in South Kivu. The Burundian military has yet to comment on these claims, though a Burundian official confirmed that between 8,000 and 10,000 Burundian troops have been deployed at Congo’s request.
Uganda, which has its own forces stationed in eastern Congo to combat Ugandan rebel groups, announced plans to adopt a “forward defensive posture” in response to the intensifying conflict between Congo’s army and M23.
International powers, including the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, have urged an end to the violence and called on Rwandan President Paul Kagame to cease supporting M23. On Friday, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot met with Kagame in Kigali, following talks with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa.
In Bukavu, the city’s residents have begun taking matters into their own hands. Authorities held a recruitment drive at a packed football stadium to enlist volunteers to defend the city. With memories of previous rebel occupations, such as in 2004, the city’s inhabitants are bracing for further violence, stockpiling supplies, or fleeing towards the border with Burundi. Some residents spoke of the pervasive fear as gunfire echoes through the city, heightening anxiety.
“It’s been 30 years of war and we’ve done nothing. But today, the youth are standing up to defend our home,” said Fiacre Kalugusha, a local volunteer.
Helene, a Bukavu resident, expressed the growing fear: “We feel surrounded by M23, and it is scary. Sometimes gunshots ring out in the city, and that only adds to the tension.”