CONFLICT
M23 rebels occupy second major city in DR Congo
February 17, 2025 - Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have entered Bukavu, the second-largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, meeting little resistance from government troops.
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Some people lined the streets to clap and cheer the fighters as they marched and drove into the city centre without resistance. It is the second city after Goma to fall to the rebels in the mineral-rich region in the past few weeks.
The Congolese government has acknowledged its fall and urged residents to stay at home “to avoid being targeted by the occupying forces”.
The UN and European countries have warned that the latest offensive, which has seen hundreds of thousands of people forced from their homes, could spark a wider regional war, the BBC said.