DRC: Cardinal Ambongo accuses the government of arming the FDLR

DRC: the army regains control of 08 localities

ByThe Mwebantu Team

The army of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced that it had dislodged M23 rebels from eight strategic locations in Masisi territory.

The army of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) managed to regain control of eight localities occupied by the M23 rebels, also known as the March 23 Movement, in the territory of Masisi, located in the east from the country. This offensive, launched early in the morning of May 22, allowed the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) to dislodge rebel fighters from the villages of Bweru, Bihamnwe, Mema, Kaniro, Kavumu, Kasake, Kashovu and Bitonga.

“The FARDC launched the offensives early in the morning of May 22 against the positions of the M23/RDF (Editor's note: Rwandan army). The loyalist army now controls the localities of Bweru, Bihamnwe, Mema, Kaniro, Kavumu, Kasake, Kashovu and Bitonga, after the rout of Rwandan army troops.declared Lieutenant-Colonel Guillaume Ndjike, spokesperson for the Congolese army.

In response to this military advance, the rebels responded by firing bombs at civilian targets. Bienfait Karamwa, a civil society leader from Minova, reported that “a bomb fell in Ludahuba near the Mwanga school complex and two others targeted the hill in Bugeri.”

Fighting intensified on May 23, with loyalist forces supported by Wazalendo militias retaking the strategic hills of Numba and Kiluku, as well as the locality of Shasha in Masisi territory.

Kinshasa and Kigali, still opposed

The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 in an attempt to seize the mineral resources of eastern Congolese. The M23, for its part, claims to defend the Tutsi populations of the region, the ethnic group of Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Despite the rebels' calls for negotiation, Kinshasa refuses any dialogue with those it describes as “terrorists”.

Defeated in 2013, the M23 resurfaced in 2021, demanding the implementation of the peace agreements signed in 2013. Currently, the rebels control a large part of the territories of Masisi and Nyiragongo in the province of North Kivu.

The Mwebantu Team
The Mwebantu Team

Led by Nia, the insightful editor-in-chief, Kwame, our technology expert, and Amara, the bold field reporter, the Mwebantu team weaves the vibrant narrative of Africa every day, forging a narrative bridge between the continent and the world. Their shared passion illuminates the mission of Mwebantu News, making African voices resonate on the global stage.