Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo advanced south on Wednesday toward Bukavu, the capital of the South Kivu province, aiming to expand their control after capturing Goma.

According to diplomatic and security sources, M23 forces were moving from Minova along Lake Kivu’s western side. If successful, they would hold territory not controlled by previous rebellions since Congo’s major war ended 20 years ago. To reach Bukavu, they would need to seize Kavumu, home to the city's airport, and confront Burundian troops reinforcing Congo’s defenses.

This comes as M23 militants tightened their grip on the captured city of Goma, a key hub for displaced people, aid workers, UN peacekeepers, and Congolese forces. It is noteworthy that the North and South Kivu provinces are rich in minerals, including coltan, a material used in smartphones, making resource control a key driver of conflict.  

M23 briefly occupied Goma in 2012 but was defeated and forced to lay dormant for over a decade. Recently resurfacing, the group aims to occupy the city and exploit its valuable resources and rare minerals with the backing of thousands of Rwandan soldiers currently in Congo, United Nations experts speculated. 

Despite diplomatic efforts—such as the US expressing concern to Rwanda over Goma’s fall—signs suggest M23 is consolidating its rule in the city.

Meanwhile, isolated gunfire was heard in the lakeside city after the rebel storming on Monday, which left the bodies of victims scattered in the street, hospitals exhausted, and UN peacekeepers in their bases.

Consequently, on Wednesday, Congolese government forces were absent from duty in the city center. Rwandan forces, however, were patrolling the area and breaking chains and padlocks to pave the way for vehicles and pedestrians. 

The scene, according to a Goma resident, felt like they "are in a dual nation. We are in Congo and at the same time in Rwanda."

Hired mercenaries flee 

Rebels backed by Rwanda frequently reactivate their operations in Congo, prompting the DRC to turn to private military companies to boost their defenses. However, the mercenaries barely defended Goma or its surrounding cities after the incursion intensified on Monday. 

At the border crossing between Goma and its Rwandan counterpart, Gisenyi, Reuters reporters observed dozens of muscular white men, some wearing fatigues, crossing into Rwanda. They lined up for luggage checks by police sniffer dogs and submitted to body searches by Rwandan officers.  

According to UN sources and Rwandan officials, these men were the same mercenaries hired by the Congolese government.

Several carried Romanian passports, and one confirmed to Reuters that he was Romanian and had spent about two years in Goma. After the searches, they boarded coaches and were driven away.

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