Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo claimed Friday to have seized a second airport in the region following a days-long advance, as the UN warned that the recent escalation of fighting with government forces has left 350,000 internally displaced people without shelter.
Local sources said M23 rebels have surrounded the area around Kavumu national airport. They also recounted seeing scores of soldiers fleeing the town as the fighting raged on.
The Associated Press could not confirm who was in control of the airport, which is located about 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) from the city of Bukavu, which is the capital of South Kivu province. Government officials and civil society leaders did not immediately comment.
Kavumu airport became a target after the M23 rebels seized the region’s largest city of Goma, including the international airport there, in late January. Goma is a critical trade and humanitarian hub that hosted many of the close to 6.5 million people displaced in the conflict, the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said on X that the rebels took over Kavumu airport and its surroundings to "eliminate the threat at the source."
"The airport posed a danger to the civilian population," he said.
Congo's Communication Ministry issued a statement criticizing the rebels for violating a ceasefire that regional leaders have called for. The rebels were "imposing an urban war by attacking the positions of the FARDC (Congolese military) who are keen to avoid bloodshed in Bukavu," the ministry said.
A local civil society leader in Kavumu reported seeing soldiers "abandon their positions and head towards Bukavu."
"This caused fear within the community (and) I took the necessary measures to bring my family to safety," the leader said, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi criticized what he described as the failure of the international community to stop the aggression from the rebels and troops from Rwanda.
"This raises the question of the United Nations, which for me has become a two-tier organization depending on whether you are among the powerful or privileged (countries) or whether you are among the weak and disadvantaged," said Tshisekedi, who is attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
Chaos and panic among residents
The M23, which is supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of Congo’s mineral-rich east. The rebellion has killed at least 2,000 people in and around Goma and left hundreds of thousands of displaced people stranded, the UN and Congolese authorities have said.
The rebels' latest advance caused chaos and panic among residents in different parts of South Kivu. Some were fleeing from Kavumu into the provincial capital of Bukavu, while others were emptying from Bukavu into neighboring towns. Some were also stocking up on household supplies as economic activities appeared to be collapsing.
"I noticed that the soldiers were dropping out and fleeing, so I told myself that I could no longer stay in this place," said Chirimwami Alexis, among residents fleeing from Kavumu. "The fear we have is people moving without any preparation or food. We are running away just because of this situation," he added.
The rebels last week declared a unilateral ceasefire that the government dismissed as false. They have continued to advance towards Bukavu, seizing several nearby towns, the latest which is Katana captured on Friday. The town is 7 kilometers (4 miles) from Kavumu airport.
African leaders to hold summit
The UN refugee agency said Friday that hundreds of thousands of displaced people are now in overcrowded makeshift shelters, churches, schools and hospitals.
"Heavy artillery shelling and looting have destroyed 70,000 emergency shelters around Goma and Minova in North and South Kivu provinces, leaving some 350,000 internally displaced people once again without roofs over their heads," the agency said.
African leaders will gather in Ethiopia at the weekend for a summit of the African Union, a continent-wide body that has previously been criticized for inaction amid conflicts in different parts of the region.
A recent meeting of leaders from eastern and southern Africa called for a ceasefire in eastern Congo but did not urge the M23 rebels to stop their advance.
