The M23 rebel group allegedly took control of Mweso town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, located approximately 100 kilometers from Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, as indicated by the group’s spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The rebels claimed that the latest bout of fighting began after government forces "attacked heavily populated areas and our positions on many axes" and that they "will not hesitate to protect the civilian population and its belongings."
Although no specifics were provided, the nation's military reportedly confirmed ongoing battles in the region.
M23's gained notoriety a decade ago when its fighters took control of Goma, the largest city in the eastern Congo near the Rwandan border. The group derives its name from a peace agreement signed on March 23, 2009, between the government and the rebel group Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP). Subsequently, some former CNDP's members formed the M23 group, claiming that the government of Congo had not fulfilled the terms of the peace treaty.
The simmering conflict in eastern Congo, involving over 120 factions, has persisted for decades. However, the conflict reached a peak in late 2021 when M23, largely inactive since 2013 when the UN deployed a special brigade to fight the armed groups, re-emerged and began seizing territory.
According to the UN, the fighting with M23 has forced up to a million people to flee their homes in North Kivu. More than two-thirds of the internally displaced population — roughly 4.8 million — reside with host families. As of the end of October, the total number of internally displaced persons in the nation reached to 6.9 million.
In the midst of these developments, the upcoming presidential elections in Democratic Republic of Congo are scheduled for December 20, 2023.