Latest news with #Jean-JacquesPurusiSadiki
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Second DR Congo city falls to Rwanda-backed rebels
Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have entered Bukavu, the second-largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, seizing the regional governor's office. 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. What's the fighting in DR Congo all about? Who's pulling the strings in the DR Congo crisis? The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR Congo A resident in Bukavu, who asked to remain anonymous because of concerns for her safety, told the BBC on Sunday that most people were still afraid to leave their homes. "Since yesterday the children and the youth took the weapons. They are shooting everywhere in all directions, they are looting," she said. "This morning the M23 entered and they were acclaimed by the people, very happy to see them. We don't know if it's because they are afraid or because they found that there were no authorities in the city. "The place where I live the crackling [gunfire] can still be heard." On Friday, the M23 captured Bukavu's main airport, which is about 30km (18 miles) north of the city - and then began advancing slowly towards the city, which is the capital of South-Kivu province. The provincial governor, Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki, confirmed to the Reuters news agency the fighters were in Bukavu city centre by Sunday morning, adding that Congolese troops had withdrawn to avoid urban fighting. This left a security vacuum in the city on Saturday with chaotic scenes playing out, including a reported prison break from the central prison. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said a warehouse with nearly 7,000 tonnes of food was looted. The city of around two million people on the southern tip of Lake Kivu borders Rwanda and is an important transit point for the local mineral trade. Its fall represents an unprecedented expansion of territory for the M23 since their latest insurgency started in late 2021 - and is a blow to the government of President Félix Tshisekedi. Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said Rwanda was violating DR Congo's territorial integrity through expansionist ambitions and human rights abuses. The Congolese government accuses Rwanda of sowing chaos in the region - as well as having troops on the ground - so it can benefit from its natural resources, something Kigali denies. President Tshisekedi wants his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame to face sanctions over the latest unrest. But President Kagame has dismissed such threats - and has repeatedly pointed out that Rwanda's main priority is its security. He has long been angered by what he sees as the failure of the Congolese authorities to deal with the DR Congo-based FLDR rebel group, which he sees as a danger to Rwanda. The group is made up of some members of the ethnic Hutu militia accused of involvement in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda when over 100 days around 800,000 people, mainly from the Tutsi ethnic group, were killed. Troops from the Tusti-led M23 gathered at the Place de l'Indépendance in central Bukavu on Sunday, where one of its commanders, Bernard Byamungu, was filmed chatting to locals and answering their questions in Swahili. He urged government forces "hiding in houses" to surrender - and accused the withdrawing military of spreading terror by arming local youths who had gone on a looting rampage. The African Union (AU) - which has been holding a heads of state summit in Ethiopia this weekend - again urged the M23 to disarm. "We are all very, very concerned about an open regional war," Reuters quotes the AU's peace and security commissioner Bankole Adeo as saying. The DR Congo rebel leader whose fighters have created turmoil DR Congo's failed gamble on Romanian mercenaries Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
BBC News
16-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Bukavu in DR Congo falls to Rwandan-backed M23 rebels
Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have entered Bukavu, the second-largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, seizing the regional governor's 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 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. What's the fighting in DR Congo all about?Who's pulling the strings in the DR Congo crisis?The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR CongoA resident in Bukavu, who asked to remain anonymous because of concerns for her safety, told the BBC on Sunday that most people were still afraid to leave their homes."Since yesterday the children and the youth took the weapons. They are shooting everywhere in all directions, they are looting," she said."This morning the M23 entered and they were acclaimed by the people, very happy to see them. We don't know if it's because they are afraid or because they found that there were no authorities in the city."The place where I live the crackling [gunfire] can still be heard."On Friday, the M23 captured Bukavu's main airport, which is about 30km (18 miles) north of the city - and then began advancing slowly towards the city, which is the capital of South-Kivu provincial governor, Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki, confirmed to the Reuters news agency the fighters were in Bukavu city centre by Sunday morning, adding that Congolese troops had withdrawn to avoid urban left a security vacuum in the city on Saturday with chaotic scenes playing out, including a reported prison break from the central UN World Food Programme (WFP) said a warehouse with nearly 7,000 tonnes of food was city of around two million people on the southern tip of Lake Kivu borders Rwanda and is an important transit point for the local mineral fall represents an unprecedented expansion of territory for the M23 since their latest insurgency started in late 2021 - and is a blow to the government of President Félix spokesman Patrick Muyaya said Rwanda was violating DR Congo's territorial integrity through expansionist ambitions and human rights Congolese government accuses Rwanda of sowing chaos in the region - as well as having troops on the ground - so it can benefit from its natural resources, something Kigali Tshisekedi wants his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame to face sanctions over the latest President Kagame has dismissed such threats - and has repeatedly pointed out that Rwanda's main priority is its has long been angered by what he sees as the failure of the Congolese authorities to deal with the DR Congo-based FLDR rebel group, which he sees as a danger to group is made up of some members of the ethnic Hutu militia accused of involvement in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda when over 100 days around 800,000 people, mainly from the Tutsi ethnic group, were from the Tusti-led M23 gathered at the Place de l'Indépendance in central Bukavu on Sunday, where one of its commanders, Bernard Byamungu, was filmed chatting to locals and answering their questions in urged government forces "hiding in houses" to surrender - and accused the withdrawing military of spreading terror by arming local youths who had gone on a looting African Union (AU) - which has been holding a heads of state summit in Ethiopia this weekend - again urged the M23 to disarm."We are all very, very concerned about an open regional war," Reuters quotes the AU's peace and security commissioner Bankole Adeo as saying. You may also be interested in: The DR Congo rebel leader whose fighters have created turmoilDR Congo's failed gamble on Romanian mercenariesYour phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Humanitarian catastrophe looms in east Congo as rebels push south, official says
(Reuters) - The advance of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels into Democratic Republic of Congo's South Kivu province threatens to trigger a humanitarian catastrophe in an area already housing thousands of displaced people, the provincial governor said. The Tutsi-led rebels have been inching south since they seized eastern Congo's largest city of Goma at the end of last month, gaining more ground despite mediation efforts. About 3,000 people were killed in days of violence that preceded the capture of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, according to United Nations figures. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Hospitals were overwhelmed with casualties and humanitarian operations in the city were hindered as non-essential aid workers had to be evacuated and warehouses were looted. Provincial governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki told Reuters in an interview that there had since been an influx of people fleeing Goma into South Kivu "creating huge humanitarian needs that we are trying to face". The region was severely under-resourced, he said. Traffic was suspended between South and North Kivu, creating shortages of goods, he said. "Our fear is that should M23 advance to this side, it will assist to a natural humanitarian catastrophe," he said, speaking in South Kivu's capital Bukavu. AID-DEPENDENT The escalation of the decade-old insurgency in east Congo has stoked fears of a broader regional war. Congo's vast mineral reserves, which are concentrated in the east, also play into conflict. Congo is the world's top producer of tantalum and cobalt, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones. It is also the third global copper producer and home to significant coltan, lithium, tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold deposits. Despite this, Congo is gthe world's most aid-dependent country. Humanitarian operations last year were 70% funded by Washington, has taken a big hit since U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a pause on foreign aid last month. The top U.N. aid official in Congo, Bruno Lemarquis, said several partners had already had to pause their projects. "Finding alternatives will be extremely challenging," Lemarquis said in an interview in Congo's capital Kinshasa. The fall of Goma's airport makes it difficult to evacuate severely injured patients and bring in supplies, he said. "Now that the situation has stabilized and security in the city has improved, we need to bring back staff, which isn't something that can happen overnight," he said. Goma's airport is still shut due to operational concerns and because of airspace management, which is under Congolese authority, Lemarquis said. The fall of Goma and the M23's advance since is the latest in a series of Tutsi-led rebellions that emerged in Congo's east after the official end of a string of conflicts between 1996 and 2003 that sucked in Congo's neighbours and killed millions of people. Rwanda has been accused by Congo, the United Nations and several Western countries of supporting the rebels with thousands of its own troops and weapons. It denies this and says it is acting in self-defence. A ceasefire declared by the rebels for humanitarian reasons at the start of February rapidly crumbled. Congo's government said on Wednesday its troops had been attacked several times in different areas since a joint summit of Eastern and Southern African blocs took place to defuse the crisis last week.
Reuters
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Humanitarian catastrophe looms in east Congo as rebels push south, official says
Summary M23 advance could trigger humanitarian catastrophe U.S. foreign aid works hits aid work in Congo Goma airport still shut, affects operations Feb 13 (Reuters) - The advance of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels into Democratic Republic of Congo's South Kivu province threatens to trigger a humanitarian catastrophe in an area already housing thousands of displaced people, the provincial governor said. The Tutsi-led rebels have been inching south since they seized eastern Congo's largest city of Goma at the end of last month, gaining more ground despite mediation efforts. About 3,000 people were killed in days of violence that preceded the capture of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, according to United Nations figures. Hospitals were overwhelmed with casualties and humanitarian operations in the city were hindered as non-essential aid workers had to be evacuated and warehouses were looted. Provincial governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki told Reuters in an interview that there had since been an influx of people fleeing Goma into South Kivu "creating huge humanitarian needs that we are trying to face". The region was severely under-resourced, he said. Traffic was suspended between South and North Kivu, creating shortages of goods, he said. "Our fear is that should M23 advance to this side, it will assist to a natural humanitarian catastrophe," he said, speaking in South Kivu's capital Bukavu. AID-DEPENDENT The escalation of the decade-old insurgency in east Congo has stoked fears of a broader regional war. Congo's vast mineral reserves, which are concentrated in the east, also play into conflict. Congo is the world's top producer of tantalum and cobalt, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones. It is also the third global copper producer and home to significant coltan, lithium, tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold deposits. Despite this, Congo is gthe world's most aid-dependent country. Humanitarian operations last year were 70% funded by Washington, has taken a big hit since U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a pause on foreign aid last month. The top U.N. aid official in Congo, Bruno Lemarquis, said several partners had already had to pause their projects. "Finding alternatives will be extremely challenging," Lemarquis said in an interview in Congo's capital Kinshasa. The fall of Goma's airport makes it difficult to evacuate severely injured patients and bring in supplies, he said. "Now that the situation has stabilized and security in the city has improved, we need to bring back staff, which isn't something that can happen overnight," he said. Goma's airport is still shut due to operational concerns and because of airspace management, which is under Congolese authority, Lemarquis said. The fall of Goma and the M23's advance since is the latest in a series of Tutsi-led rebellions that emerged in Congo's east after the official end of a string of conflicts between 1996 and 2003 that sucked in Congo's neighbours and killed millions of people. Rwanda has been accused by Congo, the United Nations and several Western countries of supporting the rebels with thousands of its own troops and weapons. It denies this and says it is acting in self-defence. A ceasefire declared by the rebels for humanitarian reasons at the start of February rapidly crumbled. Congo's government said on Wednesday its troops had been attacked several times in different areas since a joint summit of Eastern and Southern African blocs took place to defuse the crisis last week.
