Star Metro - M23 seize key city amid mounting fears of DR Congo breakup

The armed group reached outlying districts of Bukavu, capital of South Kivu province, on Friday, shortly after taking control of its airport about thirty kilometers (18 miles) away.

The fall of the city of one million people, which was barely defended by the Congolese armed forces (FARDC), gives the M23 total control of Lake Kivu, following its capture of Goma, capital of the neighboring province of North Kivu, at the end of January.

Growing international calls have been made for Rwanda to end its military backing for M23. It denies that its troops are in DRC.

As they entered the centre of Bukavu, M23 fighters were applauded by some residents gathered on the streets or huddled on balconies, AFP journalists noted.

Near the border post linking the town with neighbouring Rwanda, some chanted: "You're the ones we've been waiting for, we need change in this country, we want work".

Some called on the troops to march on Kinshasa, the country's capital. The bulk of the Congolese armed forces abandoned Bukavu on Friday, leaving behind weapons that were collected by civilians and bandits.

There was extensive looting on Saturday and most residents took refuge in their homes for safety.

- 'Regional escalation' -

In a statement on Saturday, M23 instructed the Bukavu population to organize "into vigilance committees to ensure security". The group also demanded "the immediate withdrawal" of Burundian soldiers who support the Congolese army in the province.

Some gunfire could still be heard Sunday, especially near the town's military base.

"M23 fighters are chasing some soldiers who were still hanging around in the camp and some civilians who were taking part in the looting," said one resident reached by phone.

With fears that the offensive could ignite a regional war, the international community has multiplied calls for a de-escalation and ceasefire, so far in vain.

"We don't want a balkanisation of eastern DRC," the African Union's Peace and Security Commissioner Bankole Adeoye told reporters at a summit in Addis Ababa.

Without mentioning Rwanda, he added: "We are calling for the immediate removal of M23 and their supporters from all towns and cities including Goma airport."

UN chief Antonio Guterres, speaking Saturday at the opening of the AU summit, demanded that the DRC's "territorial integrity" be respected and a regional war avoided.

The French foreign ministry called for an immediate withdrawal of Rwandan troops, while Britain on Sunday warned that the Rwandan-backed offensive risked sparking "a wider regional conflict".

The DRC claims that some 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are in the east of the country.

The conflict with M23 has lasted more than three years, with Kinshasa accusing Kigali of wanting to control the mining and trade of minerals used in batteries and electronic equipment, and also of trying to appropriate land for agriculture.

Rwanda denies the charges, and says its security is threatened by armed groups in the region, notably the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), created by former Hutu leaders linked to the genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda.

F.Tremblay--SMC