Clashes Erupt in DRC as Army Retreats from Bukavu, Escalating Tensions Nationwide

Clashes Erupt in DRC as Army Retreats from Bukavu, Escalating Tensions Nationwide

Lunda, February 18: Following the retreat of government forces from the provincial capital of Bukavu in eastern Congo, clashes have been reported between the army and pro-government militias. The forces and their militia allies were forced to withdraw in the face of an advance by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, adding to the complexity of the situation.

Bukavu, a major commercial and mining hub, had its troops ordered to pull back to avoid urban warfare with the rebels and to regroup elsewhere to resist the rapid offensive. However, the militias refused to retreat and were determined to stay and fight.

By Sunday, when the M23 rebels entered Bukavu, the situation quickly descended into chaos, according to a Congolese general, a senior officer, a community leader, and several local residents.

Having already lost Congo's main eastern city of Goma, near the Rwandan border, the forces deployed to defend Bukavu hastily packed up and left. Although direct clashes with the M23 were avoided, pro-government militia fighters clashed with retreating or deserting Congolese soldiers in towns south of Bukavu.

A community leader stated, "This morning, we heard gunfire from Kamanyola to Uvira," referring to towns on the N5 road south of Bukavu that have become flashpoints, far from the M23 frontline.

The disorganized retreat and the ease with which the M23 rebels captured the two largest cities in eastern Congo have sparked fears about the country's territorial integrity and the potential for a regional war that could involve Uganda. There are also growing rumors in Kinshasa about a possible coup against Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi.

"It's total chaos," said a civil society source in Kamanyola, one of the towns where clashes between the military and former allies have been reported in recent days.