---
title: "Congo rebels promise security in Bukavu after looting"
description: "Feb 17 (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."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-17-congo-rebels-promise-security-in-bukavu-after-looting/"
published: "2025-02-17T21:17:38"
updated: "2025-02-17T21:18:22"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 438
---

# Congo rebels promise security in Bukavu after looting

> Feb 17 (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.

By Reuters · Published 17 February 2025, 23:17 SAST · Updated 17 February 2025, 23:18 SAST

## Key points
- As Congo's soldiers retreat faster than a bad date, the M23 rebels seize Bukavu, leaving a trail of looting, prison breaks, and escalating fears of a regional war, all while accusing Rwanda of playing a high-stakes game of mineral Monopoly.
- M23 rebels claim Congo soldiers have "abandoned" Bukavu, leading to increased crime and a prison break.
- The army's withdrawal has created a power vacuum, prompting fears of a wider regional conflict.
- Congo accuses Rwanda of exploiting the situation to seize valuable mineral resources amid rising tensions.
- The M23's territorial gains mark a significant escalation in the long-standing conflict in eastern Congo.

## Content

- Rebels say Congo soldiers 'abandoned' population
- Army exit gave rise to crime, prison break
- Rapid offensive has fanned fears of a wider war
- Congo accuses Rwanda of seizing minerals

The M23 fighters [moved into the centre of Bukavu](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N3P7018&linkedFromStory=true) on Sunday, marking the Tutsi-led group's most significant advance since seizing east Congo's biggest city of Goma in late January.

The capture of Bukavu, a commercial hub, and of the [strategic airport that services the city](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AS8N3M403L&linkedFromStory=true) in the nearby town of Kavumu dealt a further blow to Kinshasa's authority and escalated a conflict that has fanned fears of an all-out regional war.

Congo's government has so far stopped short of saying Bukavu was fully under M23 control. Congolese and allied Burundian troops withdrew from the city to avoid fighting in densely populated areas, creating a power vacuum that gave rise to looting and a prison break.

In a statement read on local radio on Monday, a rebel alliance that includes M23 said it would assist the population of Bukavu who were "abandoned" by the army and allied combatants.

"Our forces have been working to restore the security for the people and their property, much to the satisfaction of the entire population," it said.

'THEY TOOK EVERYTHING'

Standing before his looted shop, Zozo Sakali said he did not know how he could repay the loan he took out to buy merchandise.

"The thugs arrived, they took everything, and nothing remains. I'm really upset. I don't know how I'm going to repay the money I borrowed," he said.

The well-equipped M23 is the latest in a long line of ethnic Tutsi-led rebel movements to emerge in Congo's volatile east.

Rwanda rejects allegations from Congo, the United Nations, and Western powers that it supports the group with arms and troops. It says it is defending itself against the threat from a Hutu militia, which it says is fighting with the Congolese military.

Congo rejects Rwanda's complaints and says Rwanda has used its proxy militias to loot its minerals.

M23 have now captured more territory than all other rebellions since the end of two major wars that ran from 1996 to 2003. These advances have also handed them control of some of the region's vast and valuable mineral deposits.

Congo is the world's top producer of tantalum and cobalt, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones. It is also the third largest global copper producer and home to significant coltan, lithium, tin, tungsten and gold deposits. The east is rich in tin, tantalum and gold.

(Reporting by Congo Newsroom; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Robbie Corey-Boulet and Hugh Lawson)