Rwandan-backed M23 rebels advanced on Sunday into the centre of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, meeting little resistance from government troops, witnesses and the armed group said, as Congo accused Rwanda of ignoring calls for a ceasefire.

M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have captured the eastern city of Bukavu with the backing of Rwandan forces, the second major city in the mineral-rich Kivu region to fall in three weeks.

Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo - Recent ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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.

The capture of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, would represent an unprecedented expansion of territory under the M23's control since the latest insurgency started in 2022 and deal a further blow to Kinshasa's authority in the east.

Smoke billows from Bukavu Central Prison buildings, a day after the prison break as Rwandan-backed M23 rebels advanced into the centre of Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo February 16, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer (Reuters) - Residents of eastern Congo's second-largest city on Monday surveyed the aftermath of widespread looting that accompanied the arrival of Rwandan-backed M23 rebels who have pledged to restore order.