(Reuters) -Rwandan-backed M23 rebels entered eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's second-largest city Bukavu on Friday, a rebel leader told Reuters, as residents reported seeing the militants in the streets of a northern district.
Earlier on Friday, the Congolese army confirmed that M23 fighters had taken control of Kavumu airport, north of Bukavu, and that Congolese troops had pulled back with their equipment.
The rebels have been trying to push south towards Bukavu since they seized Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo, at the end of last month.
The capture of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, would represent an unprecedented expansion of territory under the M23's control since the latest insurgency started in 2022, and deal a further blow to Kinshasa's authority in the east.
"I confirm that we entered Bukavu this evening, and tomorrow, we will continue with the operation to clean up the city," said Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, which includes the M23.
The Congolese army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Two residents of a northern part of Bukavu called Bagira said they had seen rebels on the streets and no sign of fighting.
"Their uniforms were different. We had been prepared since the daytime for their arrival ... the FARDC (army soldiers) had left. There were no clashes," said resident Helene, who described watching the rebels pass by her window.
Earlier, Congolese army spokesperson Sylvain Ekenge said troops had pulled back after the seizure of the airport.
He did not say where they had withdrawn to, but Congolese and Burundian troops were seen leaving Bukavu's main military camp, Saio, during the day, two residents and one U.N. source said.
"They're retreating to avoid fighting in populated areas," said one person, who lives near the camp.
A Congolese officer at the camp, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that some, but not all troops had left the camp.
Any escalation in Bukavu could worsen the humanitarian situation, with the U.N. saying on Thursday that there had been an influx of displaced people moving towards the city, where nearly 1.3 million people already reside.
PRESIDENT WARNS OF WIDER WAR
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi meanwhile was seeking international support to help end the crisis, warning the Munich Security Conference of the risk of a wider war.
"Of course this could lead to a spill over in the region," he said, reiterating his call for Rwanda to be held accountable for its role in the conflict. "It is up to the international community to prevent this conflict spreading."
Rwanda rejects accusations from Congo, the United Nations, and Western powers that thousands of its troops are fighting alongside M23. It says it is defending itself against the threat from a Hutu-led militia, which it says is fighting alongside the Congolese military.
The crisis will be high on the agenda at the annual two-day African Union summit in Addis Ababa this weekend. Tshisekedi will not attend, sending his prime minister to represent Congo, the presidency said on Friday.
Tshisekedi is under intense pressure at home. As the fighting rages in the east, a heavier military presence has also deployed over the past week throughout the capital Kinshasa, some 1,600 km (1,000 miles) west of Goma, a Reuters reporter said.
In Munich, Tshisekedi accused former president Joseph Kabila of siding with the rebels and Rwanda in a bid to destabilise the country.
"The real sponsors (of the conflict) are hiding. And the real sponsor of this opposition is my predecessor, Joseph Kabila."
Barbara Nzimbi, Kabila's communications adviser, said: "I completely deny these accusations. But that's Mr. Tshisekedi's policy, to find a scapegoat rather than provide a solution."
(Reporting by Congo newsroom and Sonia Rolley in Paris; Additional reporting by Bate Felix in Dakar, Giulia Paravicini and David Lewis in Nairobi; Writing by Portia Crowe and Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Robbie Corey-Boulet, Alison Williams and Daniel Wallis)
