The defection ceremony took place in front of the provincial police headquarters, drawing the attention of the local population.

Rwanda-backed M23 insurgents shot dead three boys who had picked up guns left by Congolese soldiers fleeing the rebel advance in eastern Congo, the U.N. said on Tuesday, adding the incident to a list of grave human rights violations reported during the conflict.

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels advanced on Sunday into the centre of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, meeting little resistance from government troops, witnesses and the armed group said, as Congo accused Rwanda of ignoring calls for a ceasefire.

The capture of Bukavu would represent an unprecedented expansion of territory under the M23's control since the latest insurgency started in 2022.

After the M23 Rwanda-backed rebels Feb. 16 occupied Bukavu, a second major city in mineral-rich eastern Congo, Catholic bishops and experts are warning this offensive in the provinces of North and South Kivu signals a clear intent to establish a permanent foreign country presence in the region.

Residents walk next to a vehicle with M23 fighters in Bukavu, DRC, on February 16, 2025. AMANI ALIMASI / AFP Columns of M23 fighters allied with Rwandan troops on Sunday, February 16, entered the ...

The rebels this week seized another provincial capital to Goma's south, Bukavu, near Burundi. The region is rich in gold and coltan, a key mineral for the production of capacitors used in most ...

At least 179 people have been hospitalized in Bukavu, the provincial capital of South Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross ...

Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo have claimed that they have seized a second airport in the region following a days-long advance towards the Kavumu airport.

Rebels from the M23, backed by the Rwandan army, continue to advance in South Kivu drawing closer to the Burundian border, where troops sent by President Évariste Ndayishimiye have gradually retreated.

This weekend, the group entered the gold-trading center of Bukavu in eastern Congo after government soldiers fled. By Elian Peltier and Justin Makangara Elian Peltier reported from Dakar ...

As Congo Army Retreats From Bukavu, Children Pick up Guns and Get Killed By Sonia Rolley and Emma Farge (Reuters) -Rwanda-backed M23 insurgents shot dead three boys who had picked up guns left by ...