The M23 rebels reportedly took control of Minova following intense fighting in the Masisi area in neighboring North Kivu. They are now heading toward the city of Kalungu, located 7 kilometers south of Minova.
Before coming under M23 control, Minova served as a key trading hub supplying the Congolese city of Goma, which has a population of over half a million people, media reported.
The M23 group, which fights for the interests of the Tutsi ethnic minority in the DRC, first rebelled against the government in 2012, but suffered a major military defeat in 2013 and was disbanded. In 2021, the rebels took up arms again, accusing the country's authorities of violating agreements to integrate disarmed M23 rebels into the army. The DRC has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels, while Rwanda has denied any connections with the movement.