(Reuters)

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels advanced on Sunday into the centre of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, meeting little resistance from government troops, witnesses and the armed group said, as Congo accused Rwanda of ignoring calls for a ceasefire.

The rebels have been seeking to seize the commercial hub since taking the city of Goma in late January. Bukavu’s capture, if confirmed, deals a further blow to Kinshasa’s authority in the east of the country.

The Congolese government confirmed rebels were in Bukavu and accused Rwandan troops of also entering the city. It stopped short of saying the city was fully under M23’s control.

“Rwanda is stubbornly pursuing its plan to occupy, pillage and commit crimes and serious human rights violations on our soil,” the government said in a statement.

The rebels’ rapid advance since the start of the year and the involvement of troops from neighbouring countries have stoked fears of a broader regional war, rooted in tensions over power, identity and resources dating back to the 1990s Rwandan genocide.

Rwanda rejects allegations from Congo and the United Nations that thousands of its troops are fighting alongside the Tutsi-led M23. It says it is defending itself against the threat from a Hutu militia, which it says is fighting alongside the Congolese military.

On Sunday, there was little sign of the clashes and bloodshed that preceded the capture of Goma, when about 3,000 people were killed, according to the United Nations.

Bukavu residents said they had seen M23 troops passing through central districts since the early morning with no sign of opposition.

M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma said the militia was in the city and posted a photo on X of a group of fighters posing in the provincial capital’s central Independence Square.

He and other rebel representatives did not reply when asked if M23 controlled the city.

The group’s recent gains in North and South Kivu provinces mean it has captured more territory than all other rebellions since the end of two major wars that ran from 1996 to 2003. These advances have also handed them control of some of the region’s valuable mineral deposits.

Congo is the world’s top producer of cobalt, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones. It is also the third largest global copper producer and home to significant coltan, lithium, tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold deposits.

Congo soldiers withdraw

Videos verified by Reuters showed M23 fighters in fatigues parading and speaking to locals in Bukavu’s Independence Square and outside the provincial governor’s office. Some locals welcomed the rebels with cheers and applause.

While the situation appeared largely calm, verified footage showed smoke rising from Bukavu’s central prison.

Congolese troops have withdrawn from the city to avoid fighting in densely populated areas, South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi told Reuters in a message, in which he also confirmed M23’s arrival in Bukavu.

“They’re in my residence already … and my office,” he said, adding that he and his team were safe elsewhere.

In one video, shared by M23, one of its military commanders tells a group of cheering residents to leave the streets, saying operations were still ongoing.

“Go home. Let us finish the job and after three hours you can go for a walk,” said commander Bernard Byamungu.

The gradual departure of Congolese and allied Burundian troops from Bukavu in recent days led to a power vacuum, triggering looting and a prison break on Saturday.

M23’s arrival was welcomed by some in Bukavu, who hope the rebels will restore order, said Congolese researcher Josaphat Musamba, who is from South Kivu.

Yet the insurgency has deepened an already dire humanitarian crisis in eastern provinces. The “rapidly deteriorating” situation has left about 350,000 displaced people with no roof over their heads, the U.N. refugee agency warned on Friday.

The well-equipped M23 is the latest in a long line of ethnic Tutsi-led rebel movements to emerge in Congo’s volatile east. It denies Congo’s allegations it is a Rwandan proxy.