Rebel forces supported by Rwanda have taken control of the town of Masisi in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as reported by multiple sources.
This marks the second town captured by the M23 group within a span of two days in the mineral-rich North Kivu province.
Since 2021, the group has gained control over extensive areas in eastern DR Congo, resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of individuals.
Angola has been working to facilitate negotiations between President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, although these discussions collapsed last month.
“It is with great concern that we hear of the M23’s takeover of Masisi,” stated Alexis Bahunga, a member of the North Kivu provincial assembly, in an interview with africa24hrs. He emphasized that this development “deepens the humanitarian crisis in the region” and called on the government to enhance the military’s capabilities in the area.
A local resident informed Africa24hrs that the M23 had convened a gathering of the town’s residents, asserting their intention to “liberate the country.”
The Congolese government has yet to issue a statement regarding the town’s loss, and the number of casualties resulting from the clashes between the M23 and the army, along with pro-government militias, remains uncertain. Reports indicated that the town was calm on Sunday.
Masisi, with a population of approximately 40,000, serves as the capital of the corresponding territory. It is located around 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, which the M23 briefly seized in 2012.
On Friday, the M23 took control of the nearby town of Katale. Last year, there were concerns that the M23 might advance towards Goma, a city with a population of about two million.
However, fighting subsided until early December when hostilities resumed. In July, Rwanda acknowledged a UN report indicating that it had around 4,000 troops engaged alongside the M23 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Congolese government has been criticized for its insufficient efforts to address the longstanding conflicts in the eastern region of the country. Rwanda has previously alleged that the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) are collaborating with individuals linked to the 1994 genocide against ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
The M23 rebel group, which emerged as a splinter faction from another group, began its activities in 2012, claiming to defend the Tutsi community in eastern DR Congo, which has faced ongoing persecution and discrimination.
However, critics of Rwanda contend that the country is exploiting the M23 to illegally extract valuable minerals from eastern DR Congo, including gold, cobalt, and tantalum, which are essential for the production of mobile phones and electric vehicle batteries.
Recently, DR Congo announced its intention to sue Apple over the use of these so-called “blood minerals,” leading the tech company to declare that it has ceased sourcing materials from both nations.
Rwanda has refuted claims that it serves as a channel for the illegal export of minerals from DR Congo.
