Congo rebels capture airport as militants advance on Bukavu

Video shared on social media on Friday (February 14) showed armed men walking down a street in Kavumu, with gunshots heard in the background.

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo took control of the strategic Kavumu airport that serves Bukavu, the region's second biggest city, the rebel alliance and a civil security source said on Friday.

Reuters was able to confirm the location as Kavumu from the buildings, trees and road layout, seen in the video which matched file and satellite imagery of the area. The date when the video was filmed and the identity of the armed men in the video could not be independently verified. However, three sources told Reuters that M23 rebels reached Kavumu on February 14.

The rebels have been trying to push south towards Bukavu since they seized Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo, at the end of last month.

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