The defection ceremony took place in front of the provincial police headquarters, drawing the attention of the local population.

The Congolese army called on deserters to rejoin their units on Thursday, as rogue soldiers fired guns and looted parts of the eastern town of Lubero after fleeing nearby clashes with advancing Rwandan-backed rebels.

Bukavu rises from chaos, but scars remain. Looters and rebels left devastation, yet merchants return, clinging to hope. As M23 advances, fear grips the region—will peace hold, or is worse to come?

The rebels captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in late January and took Bukavu on 16 February. Now, they appear to be heading for Uvira, a strategic city on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. By 18 February, M23 had reached Kamanyola, 70km away.

The rapidly evolving conflict between the armed group M23/Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) and the Congolese army in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has intensified since December 2024, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and resulting in many casualties and violent injuries.

Movement, backed by Rwanda, now controls Goma and Bukavu—and the entire Kivu Lake region—by force. The rebel group is now learning the complex art of running two of DR Congo’s largest cities.

After the M23 Rwanda-backed rebels Feb. 16 occupied Bukavu, a second major city in mineral-rich eastern Congo, Catholic bishops and experts are warning this offensive in the provinces of North and South Kivu signals a clear intent to establish a permanent foreign country presence in the region.