The M23 rebel group has captured the town of Kalembe in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, further extending its control in the region, according to local officials and a former lawmaker on Monday.
The Tutsi-led M23 insurgency, active since 2022, has been accused by both the Congolese government and the United Nations of receiving support from neighboring Rwanda—claims that Rwanda denies, though it acknowledges taking defensive actions.
After months of positioning just 10km from Kalembe, the M23 took the town on Sunday from the Congolese armed forces and the Wazalendo alliance, which supports the government, said Kabaki Alimasi, an official from the Walikale territory where Kalembe is located.
Although no civilians were directly targeted in the attack, many residents fled to Pinga, fearing for their safety. Local sources, including former lawmaker Juvenal Munobo, noted that the rebels are interested in Kalembe’s gold mines, a valuable asset in Congo’s mineral-rich eastern region.
The United Nations reported in September that M23 earns hundreds of thousands of dollars monthly from smuggling minerals from seized territories. Munobo believes the rebels’ recent actions are aimed at increasing leverage ahead of anticipated talks between Congo and Rwanda in Luanda, Angola, aimed at resolving the conflict.
The ongoing fighting has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in North Kivu province, displacing around 2.6 million people by the end of September, according to the U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA.
