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Rebels claim seizing international airport in eastern Congo

There have been no official reports from the Congolese authorities about the airport yet

PRETORIA, February 14. /TASS/. Rebels from the March 23 Movement (M23) group have seized the international airport in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which serves the capital of South Kivu province, Bukavu, M23 representative Lawrence Kanyuka said on the X network.

Reuters news agency, citing three sources, confirmed the seizure of the strategic Kavumu airport.

There have been no official reports from the Congolese authorities about the airport yet.

The international airport, located 40 km north of Bukavu, is the largest logistics hub in the east of Congo, through which international humanitarian aid flows. It hosts the Congolese Air Force and the UN Assistance Mission.

Last week, the rebels announced a unilateral ceasefire and said they had no intention of attacking Bukavu, which has a population of more than one million. However, Kanyuka later said that the rebels would continue to move towards Bukavu "to prevent the suffering of its people."

In January, the rebels seized the capital of the neighboring province of North Kivu, Goma. The Goma International Airport, through which humanitarian aid also flowed, has been closed since then.

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