By KT Reporter
Tensions have escalated in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following renewed heavy clashes between the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), their allied militias, and the M23 rebels on multiple fronts in Masisi Territory, North Kivu Province.
According to local sources, intense fighting broke out early Friday in the areas of Bibwe, Nyenge, Chytso, Hembe, and surrounding villages. FARDC and its coalition partners reportedly deployed Sukhoi-25 fighter jets, CH-4 drones, and ground forces to mount a major offensive against M23 positions.
By Friday afternoon, M23’s political spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, issued a statement accusing government forces of carrying out airstrikes and drone attacks that killed civilians and displaced many residents.
Kanyuka further alleged that the Congolese government had “sabotaged the Doha peace process” by choosing a military solution over dialogue, claiming that M23 fighters were now acting in “legitimate self-defence” and vowing to eliminate any threat at its source. The DRC government and FARDC had not publicly commented on the latest hostilities as of Friday evening.
The renewed clashes come just days after M23 paraded more than 7,000 recruits from its Rumangabo military training base in neighbouring Rutshuru Territory, signalling the group’s continuing capacity to wage war. Since its resurgence in 2022, M23 has seized swathes of North and South Kivu, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians and sparking a humanitarian crisis.
Kinshasa has repeatedly accused neighbouring Rwanda of providing arms and logistical support to M23, a charge that both Kigali and the rebel movement vehemently deny. M23 maintains that it is fighting to end corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination within the Congolese government.
The renewed violence threatens to derail fragile regional mediation efforts, including talks spearheaded by Qatar in Doha, and raises fears of a wider regional conflict if diplomatic initiatives fail to halt the fighting.
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