M23 rebels approaches Bukavu Advance in the east

The M23 rebels in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are approaching an important city, Bukavu, while their progress continues.

The progress of militants occurs despite international calls to a high fire and a resumption of peace conversations.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced from their homes in recent weeks as a result of rebel advance.

Last month, the M23 led by Tutsi, backed by neighboring Rwanda, confiscated rubber, the main city in the east rich in minerals. The Congolese government accuses Rwanda of sowing chaos in the region to benefit from its resources, a claim has denied Rwanda.

The M23 briefly captured rubber in a previous conflict in 2012, but the taking of Bukavu, which is the capital of the province of South Kivu, would represent a new phase in the turbulent recent story of the region.

The city, which limits with Rwanda, is located at the southern end of Lake Kivu and is an important transit point for local mineral trade.

Earlier on Friday, rebel combatants had entered the airport about 30 km (19 miles) north of Bukavu, while the Congolese army and an allied militia with it retired without having much resistance.

But there were great clashes on the outskirts of Bukavu, the vice governor of southern Kivu, Jean Elekano, had told the BBC.

The residents contacted by the BBC said that the authorities advised the residents to remain indoors.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the president of Dr. Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, asked that Rwanda be sanctioned accusing him of having “expansionist ambitions,” reports the AFP news agency.

“We will not endure our strategic resources that are taken for the benefit of foreign interests under the accomplice of those who feed on chaos,” he said.

In addition to being accused of supporting the rebels, what Randanda has denied, it is also said that the country has its own troops in the east of the Congo.

The president of Ruanda, Paul Kagame, said that the priority of his country is security. He said Rwanda is in danger of the Hutu rebels in Dr. Congo and has dismissed any threat of sanctions.

The news of the last advance occurs when the heads of state of the continent will meet at a summit of the African Union (AU) in Ethiopia on Saturday.

AFP cites the head of the UA commission, who says that a high fire “should be observed” adding that “military campaigns will not solve these problems. There is a general mobilization of Africa today on this issue and I. I hope that We can impose this high fire. “

Additional Alfred Lasteck reports.