Since last weekend, the city of Bukavu has fallen into new hands. After Goma, the capital of South Kivu is now under the control of M23 movement. Upon arrival, they can be seen from the border and throughout the city, moving on foot or in military vehicles previously used by the FARDC.
The M23 movement entered Bukavu without encountering significant resistance, as many FARDC soldiers immediately laid down their arms and dispersed.
The M23 command claims that the few gunshots heard in the city came from FARDC soldiers and armed gangs who seized weapons before looting homes and businesses.
In the neighborhoods of Cap Ngouba, Place Mulumba, Nyawera, Feu Vert, and other areas, people are going about their daily activities as usual. At the markets of Kadutu, Muhanzi, and more than 20 other markets in Bukavu, the situation remains calm, and no major incidents have been reported.
The M23 is now advancing toward the locality of Kamanyola, located in the Ruzizi plain at the border between Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi.
According to available reports, around 6:00 PM on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, M23 fighters entered different parts of Kamanyola, a zone that had recently been under the control of the Wazalendo military.
It is also reported that the M23 continues its offensive toward Uvira, and it is likely that this locality will fall before the end of the week. Since Uvira is on the border with Burundi, its capture would prevent the latter from continuing to send troops in support of Tshisekedi’s forces in South Kivu.
Meanwhile, the Ugandan army has been deployed in the Bunia region, the capital of Ituri, to combat the atrocities committed against local populations.
A United Nations employee told the media that trucks filled with Burundian soldiers crossed the border into Burundi last Monday after withdrawing from the DRC. These soldiers, who were based in Kavumu and fighting in the DRC, hastily returned after the capture of Bukavu.
