Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have advanced closer to Masisi, a key town in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after seizing control of the nearby Katale area on Friday.
The March 23 Movement (M23), supported by Rwanda and its military, has been waging an offensive in eastern DRC since 2021, capturing vast territories, displacing thousands, and worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Efforts to mediate peace, led by Angola, hit a deadlock in mid-December after talks between DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame were abruptly canceled due to disagreements over the proposed peace terms.
According to security sources, M23 rebels launched a fresh assault on Katale, successfully taking control of the area, which serves as the final gateway to Masisi, the administrative capital of Masisi territory.
“We have been attacked by the rebels… the enemy controls Katale,” a security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed. Thierry Muhindo, a local leader, corroborated the development, adding, “For now, the population has fled towards Masisi center.”
Telesphore Mitondeke, president of Masisi’s civil society, reported multiple civilian casualties from the clashes, though no official death toll has been released. “The human toll is serious and deeply troubling,” he said.
Masisi lies approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. The rebels’ ongoing offensive, which reignited ahead of a planned summit in Angola, has seen them inch closer to Lubero, located 50 kilometers (31 miles) away, and the commercial hub of Butembo, about 100 kilometers distant.
The escalating violence highlights the fragility of peace efforts and raises concerns about further destabilization in the region.
