Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo claimed Friday that they have seized a second airport in the region following a days-long advance, as the U.N. warned that the recent escalation of fighting with government forces has left 350,000 internally displaced people without shelter.
M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said on X that the rebels took over the Kavumu airport and its surroundings to “eliminate the threat at the source.” “The airport posed a danger to the civilian population,” he said.
The Kavumu airport became a target after the M23 rebels seized the region's largest city of Goma, including the international airport there, in late January.
Locals told the AP on Friday morning that the rebels were a few kilometers (miles) away from the airport, a strategic spot for the Congolese military in their fight with the rebels.
The Associated Press could not immediately confirm if the Kavumu national airport was under the control of the M23 rebels or government forces.
