African leaders urge the immediate withdrawal of the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) The M23 rebels entered Bukavu, a major city in the region, on Sunday. The armed group has been advancing since seizing the region’s largest city, Goma, in late January. The AU called on all parties to the conflict in the eastern DRC to embrace reconciliation and dialogue. The continental bloc condemned illegal mineral exploitation and other natural resources, which complicated the crisis. The DRC government assured the public that it is closely monitoring the situation in BukAVu, the capital of South Kivu Province, where the M23 Rebels entered earlier in the morning. The African Union called for the preservation and total respect of the sovereignty, political unity and territorial integrity of the DRC. The continent is closely following the crisis and pushing forward the effective implementation of the Luanda and Nairobi processes, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye said in a press conference on the sidelines of the AU Summit on Sunday in Addis Ababa.
