M23 Rebels Offensive in DR Congo (2025)
Following a lightning onslaught, the rebel forces of M23 movement allegedly backed by Rwanda took control of nearly the whole city of Goma, a vital hub for the trade of minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in late January 2025.

AFC Rebels Seize Nyabiondo Town, 100 km North of DRC North Kivu Province's Capital Goma, Reports Say

15:05, 11 March 2025
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The clashes between the DRC government forces and the AFC rebel coalition, including M23, which reportedly escalated on Sunday, forced the local population to flee from the Masisi district, where captured Nyabiondo is located, to the Kashebere town in the neighboring Walikale district of the North Kivu province, the media noted.
Sputnik
The rebels from the Congo River Alliance (AFC) coalition, which includes the M23 group, seized control of the Nyabiondo town of the North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following intense clashes with government forces and allied groups, local media outlet Actualite reported.

"M23 rebels who were not seen before have become visible since early morning [Monday]. During the night, they appeared in Nyabiondo town. Bullets have been flying everywhere in several areas around Nyabiondo since this morning. This is causing general concern in the town. Some rebels are advancing with the aim of reaching Walikale district [of North Kivu]," the media quoted a local resident as saying.

Moreover, the AFC/M23 rebels seized the center of the Kaziba region in the Walungu district of the South Kivu province, 50 km from the provincial capital Bukavu, late on Monday, according to Actualite.
At the same time, a pro-government group of armed forces, dubbed Wazalendo, has reportedly inflicted several defeats on the rebels in the Lubero district of North Kivu over the past week.
While the situation is escalating in the east of the country, the Congolese government seeks increased US involvement to help end the conflict, Minister of Communications and Media Patrick Muyaya told US media outlet Semafor.

"The United States can help us with peace through diplomatic means and powerful sanctions," the Congolese official pointed out.

The DRC is also calling on the US to reconsider dismantling USAID programs, Muyaya, who is also the spokesperson for the Congolese government, noted.

"They've been funding 70% of the humanitarian assistance in the east, and the situation is getting worse because of the war there," he said, adding that his country hopes the White House would encourage more US investors to help "diversify" the players involved in Congo's mining industry.

Meanwhile, commenting on reports that the Tutsi ethnic group is persecuted in the DRC, Patrick Muyaya stated that these are not true.

"There is no persecution of Tutsis in our country. [...] DRC is a huge country with 450 tribes, and Tutsi is among. The government works to protect each community, each minority, including Tutsi," he said in an interview with Rama Yade, senior director of the Africa Center of Atlantic Council, a US international affairs think tank.

The DRC government spokesperson also accused Rwanda's President Paul Kagame of "pretending to protect a community by killing others," citing a "killing of a hundred people from the Hutu community in Kishise" in 2022.
M23 Rebels Offensive in DR Congo (2025)
Deadly Fighting Reportedly Continues in Eastern DRC, Leaving Heavy Civilian Death Toll
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Rwanda and the DRC must negotiate within the ongoing peace process, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaya Kallas noted after meeting with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe.
To address the situation in the eastern DRC, the UN Security Council will hold closed consultations on Tuesday.

"France, the penholder on the file, requested the meeting. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is expected to brief Council members on his February 27-March 1 visit to the DRC, where he engaged with Congolese authorities on the security situation in eastern DRC," read the statement by the Security Council.

Amid rising political tensions linked to advances by rebels in the east of the DRC, officials from the party of Congolese former President Joseph Kabila appeared before a military prosecutor on Monday, a British media outlet said.
While the reason for the officials' summons remains unclear, they were reportedly questioned about remarks made on February 26 by the party’s vice president, Aubin Minaku, who referenced Kabila's call to "be ready for anything" as a perceived call for "open actions."
"The chief [Kabila] said 'we must be ready for anything.' [...] When the chief says we must be ready for everything, each of us, a pure-blooded (party member) understands [...] the time for silence, for clandestine actions is over, now is the time for open actions," the media quoted Minaku as saying at the time.
M23 Rebels Offensive in DR Congo (2025)
DRC Ex-President Kabila's Allies Questioned Amid Rising Tensions in the Country
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M23 Rebels Offensive in DR Congo (2025)militaryDemocratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)Central AfricaM23 rebelsThe Congo River Alliance (AFC)conflictclashesInternally Displaced People (IDPs)forced displacementPaul KagameUnited States (US)USAIDEuropean Union (EU)North AmericaEast AfricaRwandaUnited Nations Security Council (UNSC)