DRC: clashes between M23 rebels, govt forces intensify in country’s east

Conflict between one of eastern Congo’s most active rebel groups and the government armed forces is intensifying in the country’s Masisi territory, which has prompted residents of the region’s largest city of Goma to flee the area.

As fighters from the infamous M23 rebel group are attacking a community considered the last line of defense before Goma, many of the city’s residents said have chosen to hurry from fighting between the rebels and security forces, even as the former claimed they had no intention to seize it again. The M23 or the “March 23 Movement” rebels, with alleged ties to neighboring Rwanda, rose to prominence a decade ago by seizing what is the region’s largest city and an important base for Congolese forces and for humanitarian workers. Locals say the deadly unrest has worsened in recent weeks, leaving dozens of injured and overwhelming health centers.

Far from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the country’s eastern region has long been overrun by more than 120 armed groups seeking a share of the region’s gold and other resources as they carry out mass killings. Masisi and also Rutshuru, two territories in North Kivu province, have been gripped by conflict since late 2021 as the M23 takes on government troops. This and several other armed groups have intensified attacks on civilians and tried to seize more territory as the United Nations and regional peacekeepers have started to withdraw at the government’s request. Peacekeepers have been accused of failing to stop attacks on civilians. DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, who was reelected in December, has struggled to end the violence despite promises to do so.