After the capture of the airport, rowdy locals descended on the warehouse of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Bukavu city, vandalizing it and looting cargo, especially food that had been stored there.
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Some of M23 fighters at the headquaters of Kahele centre
M23 rebels captured the airport on Friday afternoon after intense fighting with Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) soldiers and their coalition. Located 30 kilometers from Bukavu city, the airport is a strategic facility where flights supplying government fighting equipment have been landing.
M23 rebels first released photos while patrolling Kavumu airport, led by one of their commanders, General Bernard Maheshe Byamungu. Later, the rebels’ political spokesperson released a statement claiming the capture of the airport and urging FARDC and the coalition to surrender, as well as asking the government to accept direct negotiations.
“As we have repeatedly emphasized, we have eliminated the threat at its source. Kavumu Airport posed a danger to the civilian population of the liberated areas & our positions. Now, Kavumu and its surroundings, including the airport, are under the control of the AFC/M23,” argued Kanyuka.
After the capture of the airport, rowdy locals descended on the warehouse of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Bukavu city, vandalizing it and looting cargo, especially food that had been stored there. Locals claimed that the organization is useless in the area since the rebels are already seen in nearby areas, targeting to capture Bukavu.
The DR Congo government is yet to release a statement about the fall of Kavumu airport into the hands of M23.
On Wednesday this week, the rebels captured Kahele Centre, located 40 kilometers from Bukavu city, signaling that the ceasefire order issued by East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state may not yield positive results.
The rebels captured the center on Wednesday after fierce fighting with FARDC soldiers and the coalition. The insurgency resumed in 2022, led by Bertrand Bisimwa and Emmanuel Sultan Makenga. Since then, the insurgency has left many parts of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces in the hands of the rebels.
Bisimwa and Makenga, in August 2024, formed an alliance with Nangaa to amplify the insurgency against the government. The DR Congo government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting M23, a claim that both Rwanda and M23 deny. The rebels assert that their fight is against corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination within the DR Congo's leadership.
