Despite the circulating social media videos and picture showing M23 fighters walking on the streets of Bukavu on Friday, the admnistration of the Alliance has confirmed to Taarifa that they are still within the surroundings of Bukavu.
M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka told Taarifa in an exclusive interview in Goma; ” We are not yet inside Bukavu but surrounding areas but also confirmed the fighters were controlling Kavumu and other parts surrounding Bukavu.
Meanwhile, the M23 has demanded the Burundi National Defence Force troops to immediately leave Bukavu and DRC in General.
“Their presence is unjustified, and they must return to Burundi, their homeland,” Kanyuka told Taarifa.
He noted that military operations conducted by Burundi troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo “have exacerbated ethnic cleansing, mass atrocities, and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, posing a serious threat to the local population. It is therefore imperative that they leave the DRC without delay.”
Kanyuka pointed out, “the AFC/M23 demands the immediate withdrawal of the Burundian National Defence Forces from Congolese territory, particularly in Nkomo, Nyangezi, the Ruzizi Plain, and surrounding areas.”
