Information
In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, intense fighting between the M23 rebel coalition and the Congolese army continues, with the rebels gaining significant territory in South Kivu province. On Sunday, they captured the provincial capital, Bukavu, facing little resistance from government forces. The situation in Bukavu has been described as chaotic, with widespread looting and fleeing soldiers setting fire to their ammunition depot. The rebels also took control of the strategically important Bukavu airport, cutting off the eastern region from the rest of the country and complicating the supply of military equipment and troops to the Congolese army.
The conflict has led to a humanitarian crisis, with 3,000 people killed and around 700,000 displaced since the offensive began. The East African Community, Southern African Development Community, and Economic Community of Central African States have called for an immediate ceasefire, but without success. The M23 rebels are seen as a proxy army for Rwanda, which is accused of exploiting the region’s mineral resources. The capture of Bukavu and the ongoing conflict have raised fears of a regional war, with Burundi threatening Rwanda with war and the international community urging for dialogue to prevent further escalation.
Source: DW, Sky News
So what
This situation appears unlikely to improve in the short term, and possibly not even in the medium term, with substantial military intervention. As mentioned in the article, the loss of the airport in Bukavu will have a significant effect on the DRC military’s ability to counter-attack against M23, as they will need to bring their logistic supplies by rail and then road. While this challenge also means it is unlikely that M23 will be able to push much further into the country, regardless of their threats to assault the capital. It seems likely that M23 will consolidate their captured territory and prepare to defend it against a likely eventual DRC counter-attack.
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