DR Congo: M23 rebels seize second airport – DW (English)
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi called for Rwanda to be “blacklisted” as rebel forces claimed more territory in the eastern part of Congo. The M23 rebels are backed by the Rwandan government. 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, home to the airport that serves the South Kivu provincial capital of Bukavu.The M23 group is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of Congo’s mineral-rich east.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.” 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.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. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 videoOutgoing 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.Edited by: Wesley Dockery
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/dr-congo-m23-rebels-seize-second-airport/a-71613601
