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

The Congolese army called on deserters to rejoin their units on Thursday, as rogue soldiers fired guns and looted parts of the eastern town of Lubero after fleeing nearby clashes with advancing Rwandan-backed rebels.

The rapidly evolving conflict between the armed group M23/Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) and the Congolese army in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has intensified since December 2024, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and resulting in many casualties and violent injuries.

The crucial ferries were suspended for several days due to fierce fighting between the army and M23 rebels in the region.

Movement, backed by Rwanda, now controls Goma and Bukavu—and the entire Kivu Lake region—by force. The rebel group is now learning the complex art of running two of DR Congo’s largest cities.

Bukavu rises from chaos, but scars remain. Looters and rebels left devastation, yet merchants return, clinging to hope. As M23 advances, fear grips the region—will peace hold, or is worse to come?

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.

capital of the neighboring province of North Kivu, at the end of January. The bulk of the Congolese armed forces abandoned Bukavu on Friday, leaving behind weapons that were collected by civilians ...

M23 rebels pledge to restore security in Bukavu as an escalation in fighting fans fears of an all-out regional war.

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.

On 14 February, the M23 rebels, backed by the Rwandan army, seized control of Kavumu Airport, located about 30 kilometres from the provincial capital of South Kivu.

Congo Army Runaways Loot and Sow Panic in North Kivu Town (Reuters ... province after the M23 advance into the provincial capital Bukavu over the weekend led to clashes between Congolese ...