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UN voices concern as M23 is reported to control Bukavu, warns of civilian impact
Summary
The UN said reports indicate M23 forces have established control and set up an administration in Bukavu, South Kivu, and warned that civilians are continuing to suffer; the secretary-general favors negotiated solutions and has called for non-Congolese troops to leave the territory.
The United Nations said reports indicate that the M23 armed group is exercising control in Bukavu, South Kivu, and that civilians there continue to suffer amid armed confrontations and administrative changes attributed to the group.
The matter is important because control by non-state armed groups and the reported establishment of local administration can disrupt humanitarian access and governance and increase civilian vulnerability.
A UN spokesperson said the briefing team had not obtained an updated, detailed operational report in time for the session but that the UN remains "very concerned about the situation in South Kivu, notably in Bukavu," where reports indicate M23 is "basically in charge and has set up an administration." The spokesperson emphasized the humanitarian consequences: civilians are continuing to suffer and humanitarian operations are affected.
Asked whether the secretary-general had secured progress toward talks between M23, Rwanda and the Congolese government, the spokesperson said the secretary-general continues to push for diplomatic and negotiated solutions and has stated that "those troops that are not Congolese need to leave the Congolese territory." The briefing framed these diplomatic efforts as ongoing without promising immediate breakthroughs.
The briefing did not provide operational details on humanitarian access, casualty counts, or timelines for a diplomatic process in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The UN said it would continue to monitor developments and to press for measures that protect civilians and allow humanitarian assistance to reach affected populations.
