Walcale, a strategic rebel town, as government forces fled in exile in the ongoing battle.
The M23 armed groups have been pushed deep into the Congo’s mineral rich regional democratic republic after gaining major cities in Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of the north and south Kivu provinces, respectively, in recent weeks.
Security sources told Al Jazeera that Rwandan-backed rebels enter the village of Nyabbiondo, about 100 km (62 miles) north of Goma, on the road leading to Walikal, a strategic town in the north Kivu.
“The government is extremely important to the government as it is the only place where the government has industrial mines that have millions of tax paid,” said Alain Uaykani of Al Jazeera, who reports from Goma.
In a massive retreat to government forces, one of the government’s allied armed groups known as the group’s Kabido tribes announced that it had joined the M23 fighter jets. The group has been active in the Eastern DRC for decades and has fought the Army for the past three years. The leader announced this weekend that he would officially join the M23 to combat what he called “Kinshasa government mismanagement.”
“This indicates confusion within the DRC Army, and the M23 is taking advantage of this situation on the ground,” Uaykani said, adding that the second group had defected soon afterwards.
Meanwhile, the UN Office for Humanitarian Cooperation (OCHA) said the escalating attacks have hit hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, driving away hundreds of thousands of people.
“Between March 1st and 3rd, several hospitals were targeted by armed actors in escalating violence against medical centers and healthcare workers,” Ocha said. Goma’s security is being threatened by “reviving criminal activities such as house robbery, theft and attacks,” he said on Sunday, adding that hospitals and schools have also been forced to close in other areas.
Ocha said at least four civilians were killed in fighting between the M23 and rival groups in the MASISI district between February 18th and 25th, and more than 100,000 new evacuations were made in Rubero in the north.
$5 million reward for capturing M23 Rebel leaders
Meanwhile, DRC authorities have provided $5 million in reward for help arresting rebel leaders as government forces struggle to contain their advances.
“People who support the arrest of prisoners at Corneille Nangaa, Bertrand Bisimwa and Sultani Makenga will receive a $5 million reward,” the Justice Department announced Friday.
Nangaa is the leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a military and political alliance to which M23 belongs. He is also the former president of the DRC’s Independent National Election Commission. Bishymwa and Makenga are the presidents and chiefs of the M23 respectively.
All three men who were tried at Absentia in Kinshasa were convicted and sentenced to death in August 2024.
DRC authorities are also offering $4 million in blessings for information that lead to the arrest of three men “co-accused” and “other sought-after individuals,” the statement said.
Since January, more than 7,000 people have been killed in combat in the eastern DRC, with “slight” civilians among the deaths.
The M23 operates in the Eastern DRC and is one of over 200 armed groups fighting for control of the region’s minerals. In 2021, the group resumed fighting the large territory of North Kivu, which borders Rwanda, after being dormant for more than a decade.
In recent weeks, the M23 launched an attack on Lightning, winning Goma and Bukavu. UN experts and US groups accused Rwanda of supporting the M23.
Source link
