Rebels of the Rwanda-backed March 23 Movement, aka M23, have seized a strategic eastern town near the provincial capital Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, local politicians said Sunday.
The Tutsi-led M23 group has been waging a renewed insurgency in eastern Congo since 2022. Congo and the United Nations accuse neighboring Rwanda of backing the group with its own troops and weapons. Rwanda says it has taken what it calls defensive measures.
Fighting has flared in recent weeks, leading to territorial gains for M23, which is now in control of Masisi which it captured from the army and pro-government militias on Saturday. Masisi, population 40,000, sits just 80 km (50 miles) north of Goma, the provincial capital, which is home to two million Congolese — and is a key sanctuary for refugees.
Provincial parliament member Alexis Bahunga told Reuters: “The government will take measures to restore state authority over the entire territory.”
Another parliamentary deputy, Jean-Pierre Ayobangira Safari, said Masisi had been taken “for now.”
An army spokesperson declined immediate comment.
Corneille Nangaa, leader of the anti-government Congo River Alliance (AFC), which includes M23, said rebel forces had reached the center of Masisi mid-afternoon on Saturday.
The advance and continued fighting in defiance of a ceasefire agreement further undermined efforts to curb the conflict. A rare high-level meeting between the Congolese and Rwandan presidents was postponed in December, dashing hopes of a deal to curb the violence that has displaced more than 1.9 million people.
The head of an international organization working in Masisi said staff members there were in shock and unable to continue operations as businesses were closed, making it hard to source supplies.
“They don’t know how to leave the town since we fear that the … [Congolese forces] will launch a counteroffensive,” the source said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The takeover of Masisi came just two days after M23 captured Katale, another town in North Kivu. Since 2021, the group has occupied vast areas of eastern Congo, displacing hundreds of thousands of refugees, and local leaders warn of an escalating humanitarian crisis.
The Congo has been accusing Rwanda of using the rebels to loot its minerals including gold, cobalt, and tantalum, a charge Kigali denies. In December, Congo announced it was suing Apple for using such “blood minerals.” In response, Apple has stopped accepting tin, tantalum, tungste, and gold from both countries.
Meanwhile, talks between DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame were canceled on December 15 over disagreements about the terms of a proposed peace deal, and there is no sign they are resuming.
With additional report from Reuters
