M23 militias take control of a new town in eastern DRC

MADRID 4 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –

In recent hours, the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group has taken control of the Congolese town of Kamandi-Gite, located on the western coast of Lake Edward and in the North Kivu region, in the east of the Republic. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

According to sources consulted by the radio station Radio Okapi, the town fell during the morning into the hands of the heavily armed rebels who attacked the positions of the Wazalendo self-defense groups that until now controlled this area.

After the clashes, as indicated by the same sources, thousands of people have fled to protect themselves from the violence, while self-defense groups have retreated to the nearby hills in what has been interpreted as a probable preparation for a counterattack. .

The M23 is a rebel group made up mainly of Congolese Tutsis and operates mainly in the province of North Kivu. After a conflict between 2012 and 2013, DRC and the group signed a peace agreement in December. In these combats, the DRC Army had the support of United Nations troops.

The group launched a new offensive in October 2022, which intensified in November, which has caused a diplomatic crisis between the DRC and Rwanda due to their role in the conflict. UN experts pointed out in December to the existence of “substantial evidence” of “direct intervention” by the Rwandan Army in the conflict.

Likewise, they highlighted a collusion between the Congolese Army and several armed groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the mai-mai, to combat the M23, including the proposal of armed groups to “mobilize 600 combatants” to reinforce the ranks of the Armed Forces.