Gambiaj.com – (BUKAVU, DR. Congo) – Rwanda-backed rebels seized a second airport in eastern Congo on Friday, according to security and humanitarian sources.

M23 rebels and Rwandan troops took what was seen as the last military obstacle in the area of Kavumu, which is the capital of the South Kivu province and where the airport is situated.

The M23 group is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of Congo’s mineral-rich east.

What was the response in Congo?

In response to the latest escalation in the conflict, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi claimed Rwanda had “expansionist ambitions” in the eastern part of Congo.

Tshisekedi called for Kigali to be subject to international sanctions while at the Munich Security Conference, adding: “What’s needed is to blacklist the real culprit of this situation: Rwanda.”

What did M23 say?

M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said on X that the rebels took over the Kavumu airport and its surroundings to “eliminate the threat at the source.”

“The airport posed a danger to the civilian population,” he added. The group was reportedly met with little resistance from those in the town.

The African Union summit aims to resolve conflict.

Heads of state were set to meet for talks on the crisis in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Friday. Over the weekend, the annual African Union summit will take place.

Tshisekedi will not attend the summit as he aims to focus his efforts on halting further progress of the M23 rebels, his spokesperson Tina Salama said.

Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka will instead represent Congo at the event.

Congo and Rwanda’s difficult relations

Outgoing AU chair Moussa Faki Mahamat told reporters that the fighting needed to stop completely after a temporary lull earlier in the week failed to hold.

“The ceasefire must be observed,” he said. “Military campaigns are not going to solve these problems. There is a general mobilization of Africa today on this issue.”

In Goma, which the M23 seized in late January, they have already begun to install their own administration and establish their own police force.

AFP News