M23 fighters entered Bukavu in the early hours of Sunday, February 16, 2025, prompting security forces stationed at the border on the DRC side to flee.

The takeover comes just weeks after the group seized Goma on January 27, 2025, effectively taking control of all border crossings between the DRC and Rwanda.

By 8:00 AM on Sunday, M23’s military spokesperson, Lt. Col. Willy Ngoma, hinted at the group’s capture of Bukavu, stating, “Now the people of Bukavu are breathing the air of liberation, the air of freedom. We are the people’s army.”

Shortly after, at around 10:00 AM, M23 fighters were spotted securing the Rusizi I border post, located on the Rusizi River bridge that links Rwanda and the DRC.

The presence of rebel forces at key checkpoints within Bukavu, including Place de L’Independance and La Botte, where the South Kivu Governor’s office is located, indicated that government forces had retreated.

M23’s advance into Bukavu followed the capture of Kavumu Airport on Friday, February 14, 2025, about 25 kilometers from the city.

According to M23, the airport had been used by DRC coalition forces to launch attacks on rebel positions. The capture of this strategic location raised expectations among residents that Bukavu would soon fall under M23 control.

Despite an earlier statement from the office of the President of the DRC claiming that the national army and local militias remained in control of Bukavu, multiple sightings of M23 fighters in key areas of the city, including Kadutu, suggest otherwise.

Cross-border activities have continued under M23 control, with reports indicating an increase in operating hours for travellers. A surge in movement has also been observed at the major La Corniche border crossing and a smaller one near Goma since the rebel group took over these routes.

The M23 rebel group has taken control of the Rusizi I border post on the side of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after advancing into Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province.