DRC troops launched an offensive against M23 rebel positions in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), announced the army. The offensive, supported by “wazalendo” or patriotic militia, began early in the morning, according to FARDC spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Guillaume Ndjike. Reports from residents in North Kivu province indicated fighting on multiple fronts.
FARDC spokesperson Guillaume Ndjike confirmed the offensive on Wednesday, asserting that several areas had already been retaken from the rebels. The M23 rebels are purportedly receiving support from Rwandan soldiers, as claimed by Western powers and the DRC government.
Residents contacted by AFP from Goma, the provincial capital, reported ongoing clashes in Masisi and Rutshuru territories, northwest of Goma. Civil society representatives in Bweremana and residents in Minova described the intensity of the conflict, with bombings from Minova towards the hills of Ndumba and Kabase.
The M23 rebel group, primarily Tutsi-led, resumed its armed campaign in 2021, seizing significant territory and effectively encircling Goma. In April, the rebels captured the mining town of Rubaya in Masisi territory, which holds strategic minerals such as coltan, crucial for electronics manufacturing.
The conflict has resulted in a significant displacement of civilians, with the UN estimating nearly seven million people displaced in the DRC by the end of 2023, with 2.5 million in North Kivu alone.