Bukavu rises from chaos, but scars remain. Looters and rebels left devastation, yet merchants return, clinging to hope. As M23 advances, fear grips the region—will peace hold, or is worse to come?

M23 rebels have taken control of the strategic Kavumu airport that serves Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, the rebel group and a civil security source said Friday. The rebels also seized the town of Katana.

As the M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda, push further into South Kivu province in eastern Congo, the wives of the missing Congolese soldiers find themselves grappling with uncertainty, facing a harsh reality filled with unanswered questions and unstable living conditions.