M23 rebels are making further gains in eastern DR Congo. The Rwanda-backed militia now has its sights on Walikale, an important mining town located 235 km north of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. On 9 March, the group captured Nyabiondo, enabling its fighters to advance deeper into the mineral-rich eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Kinshasa put a $5-million reward up for information leading to the capture of key M23 figures: Corneille Nangaa, Bertrand Bisimwa and Sultani Makenga. Nangaa is affiliated with the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a military-political coalition that includes M23, and previously served as the head of the DRC’s Independent National Electoral Commission. Bisimwa and Makenga are M23’s president and military chief, respectively. All three were tried in absentia and sentenced to death in August 2024.
Additionally, DRC is offering a $4-million reward for information that leads to the arrest of the accomplices of these three men and other individuals being sought, as stated by the Congolese Justice Ministry.
In mid-December 2024, peace negotiations between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Félix Tshisekedi – which had been due to take place in Luanda, Angola – were called off. Earlier this year, M23 launched a rapid new offensive, successfully seizing Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of North and South Kivu provinces, along with numerous towns in areas rich in minerals.
Since resuming hostilities after nearly ten years of intermittent attacks, M23 has taken control of key locations such as Rubaya, a hub for coltan essential for smartphone manufacturing, as well as Masisi, Kavumu, Minova, Kalungu, Bunagana, Rutshuru, Lubero, Nyiragongo, Nyabibwe, Kanyezire and Mukwinja.
Since January, over 7,000 people have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC. The UN reports that more than 700,000 individuals have been displaced since the start of the year, adding to the more than 7-million already displaced by previous fighting as of 2024.
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