The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized control of Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), meeting little resistance as they entered the vital trading hub on Sunday.

The rebels addressed crowds in Bukavu's main square after entering the city in long, silent columns, while Congolese soldiers had fled days earlier. Bernard Byamungu, a high-ranking M23 official, told Bukavu's residents, 'It is important that we can work hand in hand for our country's development.'

The capture of Bukavu follows the rebels' seizure of Goma last month, where nearly 3,000 people were killed according to the United Nations. With these two cities under their control, M23 now commands the largest trading hubs in Congo's mineral-rich east.

The rebels' rapid advance since the start of the year has stoked fears of a broader regional war, rooted in tensions dating back to the 1990s Rwandan genocide. The UK's foreign office stated, 'This is a serious escalation that heightens the risk of a wider regional conflict – the human cost of which would be devastating.'

Congo is the world's top producer of cobalt and third-largest copper producer, with significant deposits of coltan, lithium, tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold. The M23 rebels, supported by approximately 4,000 Rwandan troops according to UN experts, are the most powerful of dozens of armed groups vying for control of these mineral resources.

The conflict has displaced more than 6 million people in the region, creating the world's largest humanitarian crisis. The UN refugee agency warned on Friday that the 'rapidly deteriorating' situation has left about 350,000 displaced people without shelter.