The DR Congo insists on a military solution in the fight against the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels. Analysts say the fall of Bukavu could complicate matters.

The armed group, backed by several thousand Rwandan soldiers, has taken the capital of South Kivu province. It continues to advance, despite calls for a ceasefire from the African Union and threats of sanctions.

The DRC government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, a claim that Rwanda denies. Kigali, in turn, alleges that Kinshasa collaborates with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Hutu armed group with ties to the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, an allegation the DRC rejects.