Tensions has escalated into deadly confrontations between DR Congo’s armed forces, also known as FARDC, and the notorious M23 rebel group in the North Kivu province of the eastern part of the country.
The clash, which erupted in the early hours of Sunday, has prompted fears of worsening violence and instability in the region.
Reports indicate that the armed confrontation took place in a remote area near the border with Rwanda. Heavy gunfire and explosions reverberated across the landscape as FARDC troops engaged with the well-organized M23 rebels.
Both parties have held a fragile ceasefire since November 2022, but the reasons behind this latest bout of fighting remain uncertain, though territorial disputes and control over valuable resources are often at the core of such conflicts in the region.
They both accused each other of starting the fire exchange on Sunday afternoon in Kilolirwe and other areas in Masisi territory in spite of calls by regional leaders to end the conflict peacefully.
The spokesperson of the North Kivu Governor’s Office, Lt Gen. Guillaume Ndjike, accused the rebels of seeking to reoccupy positions they earlier vacated as part of the ceasefire.
But M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said that with the attack, the Congolese government “initiated its warmongering plan,” declared by President Felix Tshisekedi in his speech at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September, in which he ruled out any possibility of peace talks with the rebels.
“The M23 condemned President Tshisekedi’s decision to engage in war after many calls worldwide for a peaceful settlement of the ongoing conflict,” Kanyuka said, adding that the Congolese government was using the rebel group as a scapegoat “to cover up its failure.”
Congolese officials earlier warned of a renewed offensive against the rebels. Reports say the Congolese army acquired new military equipment in preparation for the offensive, as renewed mobilisation continues in North Kivu.
Local officials have expressed deep concerns about the escalating violence, particularly its potential impact on civilian lives and the overall stability of the region. The M23 rebels, named after a 2012 uprising, have been responsible for numerous attacks and displacements in recent years, exacerbating an already volatile situation in Eastern DR Congo.
The M23 rebel group resurfaced in November 2021, nearly a decade after its defeat in 2013.
The group, which denounced the persecution of Congolese Tutsi communities at the hands of genocidal militias like the FDLR, accused Kinshasa of ignoring previous peace agreements.
The Nairobi and Luanda peace processes, which have been running since 2022, support a non-military resolution of the conflict.
In December 2022, the M23 rebels embarked on a gradual withdrawal from their positions, handing over control to the East African Community regional force (EACRF).
The rebels accuse the DR Congo government of ignoring calls by the international community for a peaceful end to the conflict.
