The M23 rebels have taken control of Kavumu international airport in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, which serves Bukavu, the provincial capital of South Kivu, announced M23 representative Lawrence Kanyuka.
He confirmed that the airport is currently under rebel control. To date, there have been no official statements from the Congolese authorities concerning the capture of the airport.
Last week, the rebels announced a unilateral ceasefire, declaring that they had no intention of attacking Bukavu, which has a population of over 1 million. However, Kanyuka later stated that the rebels would continue their advance towards Bukavu "to prevent suffering for its population."
Meanwhile, the Congolese Armed Forces have launched several counterattacks towards the port of Bukavu in the eastern part of the country. They have taken control of the center of the city of Katana, while clashes continue on the northern outskirts.
Additionally, they have advanced to the western outskirts of Kabamba. Over the past 24 hours, the Congolese forces have carried out many airstrikes on M23 positions, most of which targeted Kalehe. M23 claimed there were casualties among the civilian population. The Congolese army didn't immediately respond to these claims.
Furthermore, UN peacekeepers have been deployed to the Djugu district in the Ituri province in the eastern DRC, where earlier this week more than 80 people were killed in three villages, according to the Congolese radio station Okapi.
As for diplomatic methods of conflict resolution, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, held constructive talks with Richard Grenell, the special envoy of former US President Donald Trump, focusing on peace, security, and stability in the Great Lakes region, according to the DRC presidency.
Tshisekedi is attending the conference to highlight the ongoing conflict in the DRC and call for increased international involvement in resolving the crisis and pacifying the Great Lakes region, the presidency added.