jasdooit

The M23 rebels from the AFC are approaching Uvira, the second biggest city in South Kivu province, after a week of conflict with the government alliance. The rebels, who have held the provincial capital Bukavu for 10 months, initiated a new offensive at the start of December, taking over several small towns. ALSO READ: Soldiers from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo are retreating to Bujumbura as M23 rebels advance – reports. The most recent town captured is Kiliba, located approximately 20 kilometers from Uvira. This city is significant as it has served as a major stronghold for the Congolese army since February when Bukavu came under rebel control. On Tuesday, December 9, videos shared on social media showed hundreds of happy people in Kiliba’s streets, chanting “Libérée, libérée,” which means “Liberated” in French, as the rebels were reported to have taken the town.https://x.com/Kivuinfo24/status/1998351857425559941A coalition of the Congolese army that includes Burundian troops and local militia groups known as Wazalendo has recently suffered consecutive losses to rebels, who now control the two largest cities in eastern DR Congo. Since Saturday, AFC/M23 has captured Kamanyola and Luvungi towns near the Burundian border, and on Monday, they took control of Sange, which is approximately 30km from Uvira. Some Congolese soldiers along with their allied Burundian troops and Wazalendo fighters withdrew on Monday, with reports indicating some of them crossed into Burundi as the rebels advanced towards Uvira. As of Tuesday morning, Uvira remains under government control. Although there were reports of an explosion near the city that caused some panic, no fighting had been reported between the government coalition and AFC/M23. Eliminate the threat at its source During a press conference on Tuesday in Goma, the capital of North Kivu, AFC/M23 coordinator Corneille Nangaa stated that they do not intend to capture Uvira but will eliminate the threat at its source. We have no position on Uvira. However, our defense strategy is clear: eliminate the threat at its source, he said. We are defending Uvira to avoid being accused of failing to help someone in danger. Nangaa mentioned that his group has called for respect for ongoing peace talks in Doha, yet the Congolese government proceeded with hostilities. Nangaa claimed that the government coalition violated an agreed ceasefire 31 times between July and November. He also criticized Burundi’s involvement in the conflict, which has been ongoing since November 2021.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.Syndigate.info).