After a brief two-day lull, fighting has reignited in eastern DRC as the M23 rebel group launched fresh attacks on armed forces near the village of Ihusi on Tuesday morning, Al Jazeera reports.
The location of the attack, some 25 miles from the strategically important military airport in Kavumu and 43 miles from Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, has raised concerns about the security situation in the region.
The M23, claiming to protect ethnic Tutsis, has been pushing towards South Kivu after seizing control of Goma in North Kivu last month in a bloody raid that, according to UN estimates, left nearly 3,000 dead. This latest escalation comes despite calls from 24 regional leaders for an immediate ceasefire.
Residents of Bukavu have been bracing for a potential offensive for days. Schools were closed on Friday, and widespread fear has prompted residents to flee and shops to shutter their doors.
Meanwhile, reports have emerged from a displacement camp west of Goma alleging that an M23 colonel ordered residents to evacuate the Bulengo camp within three days. The M23 released a statement on Monday denying these accusations, claiming that people were voluntarily returning to their “now-secured homes in liberated areas.”
The renewed fighting defies calls from 24 East and Southern African leaders who, on Saturday, demanded an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire in the DRC within five days, expressing fears that the conflict could spill over into neighboring countries.
The ongoing conflict has triggered a massive humanitarian crisis. The UN reports that 6.7 million people have been internally displaced within the country, with the majority originating from North and South Kivu provinces, where violence and insecurity have surged since 2021 due to the resurgence of the M23 rebels. Over 500,000 have been displaced since the beginning of the year alone, placing immense pressure on already overcrowded and under-resourced displacement camps.
The DRC government accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 and of looting the country’s vast mineral resources, including rare earths. Rwanda denies these allegations.
Separately, in Ituri province, the CODECO armed group, one of numerous factions vying for control over land and resources in the east, is reported to have killed at least 35 civilians in an attack on the Djaiba group of villages in the Djugu territory. Some officials have suggested the death toll could be as high as 50, including children, with many victims reportedly “burnt to death in their homes.” The UN has previously accused CODECO of committing potential war crimes and crimes against humanity. The majority of residents in Djugu territory are Hema.
