Rebel forces aligned with Rwanda have reportedly captured the town of Masisi in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), marking the second town seized by the M23 group in two days in North Kivu province.
The M23 rebels, active since 2021, have steadily gained control over large territories in eastern DRC, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians and worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Efforts by Angola to mediate peace talks between DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame collapsed last month, leaving the conflict without a clear path to resolution.
Alexis Bahunga, a member of the North Kivu provincial assembly, expressed deep concern over the fall of Masisi, describing it as a development that “plunges the territory into a serious humanitarian crisis.” He called on the Congolese government to bolster the military’s capacity to defend the region.
One resident told AFP that M23 rebels had addressed the town’s inhabitants, declaring their intention to “liberate the country.”
Masisi, a town of approximately 40,000 people, lies about 80 kilometers north of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu. Goma, a strategic city with a population of two million, was briefly occupied by M23 forces in 2012.
The fall of Masisi follows the capture of the nearby town of Katale last Friday.
While Congolese authorities are yet to comment on the latest developments, the situation underscores escalating regional tensions, with Rwanda previously avoiding denial of a UN report alleging the presence of 4,000 Rwandan soldiers fighting alongside M23 forces in the DRC.
