M23 rebels advancing towards major city in eastern Congo, UN says

Goma, Congo, Feb 2, (dpa/GNA) – The M23 rebel group is advancing towards another major city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, a leading UN official said on Friday.

Days after taking Goma, the Rwandan-backed fighters are about 60 kilometres north of Bukavu, said UN peacekeeping expert Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, is home to hundreds of thousands.

M23 rebels are also moving towards a major airport north of the city, which would be a significant step, Lacroix said.

A spokesman said the United Nations, is moving staff out of Bukavu as a precautionary measure.

M23 is one of more than 100 armed groups in resource-rich eastern Congo, and has been in conflict with government troops for years.

M23 leader Corneille Nangaa, said on Thursday that the group is “in Goma to stay” and announced a march on the capital, Kinshasa, to overthrow President Félix Tshisekedi.

GNA