The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed on Sunday the entry of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels into Bukavu, a major city in the eastern part of the country.
In a statement, the DRC government assured the public that it is closely monitoring the situation in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu Province, where the M23 rebels entered earlier in the morning.
According to local sources, M23 rebels took control of several strategic sites in the city, including the residence of the provincial governor.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to restoring order, security, and territorial integrity, calling on Bukavu residents to stay indoors to avoid becoming targets.
As of the present, the M23 armed group has gained full control over the regions along the shores of Lake Kivu in the DRC.
The rising tensions in eastern DRC in recent weeks have caused a sharp worsening of the humanitarian situation there. Since Jan. 26, more than 3,000 people have been killed, 2,880 injured, and over 500,000 displaced, adding to the 6.4 million people already internally displaced in the region, according to the U.N.
The ongoing conflict between the M23 and the DRC government is deeply rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and long-standing ethnic tensions between the Tutsi and Hutu communities. The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23, while Rwanda alleges that the DRC army has allied with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a rebel group accused of participating in the genocide against the Tutsi.
DR Congo government confirms rebel entry into strategic city Bukavu
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday the United States will "run" Venezuela after the U.S. military raided the country and captured its President Nicolas Maduro.
The U.S. military launched a series of attacks against Venezuela early Saturday morning, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and flying him out of the country.
"We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," Trump said at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago private club in Florida.
"We don't want to be involved with having somebody else get in, and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years. So we are going to run the country," he said.
Trump said he plans to authorize U.S. oil giants to take over and invest in Venezuela's energy infrastructure and "start making money for the country," adding that the embargo on all Venezuelan oil "remains in full effect."
He said the U.S. launched air, land, and sea forces in the military operation, adding that the U.S. is prepared to stage a second attack on Venezuela, but it is probably not necessary. If needed, the U.S. is ready for a second "and much larger" attack on the country, he said.
After the attack on Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, most shops were closed. Long queues formed in front of some pharmacies and supermarkets, and parts of the metro were not operating normally.
"We need peace and quiet, more than anything. I don't know, I have this sense of uncertainty, not knowing what's going to happen. That makes me feel kind of insecure. I can't stay at home because I start thinking about things, you know? I go to the park to exercise every day, but today it's closed. I just sat here hoping everything would calm down and things would return to normal," one Caracas resident said.
Trump says U.S. will "run" Venezuela following capture of Maduro
