Rebel forces backed by Rwanda have captured the town of Masisi in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to various reports.
This is the second town captured by the M23 group in as many days in the mineral-rich province of North Kivu.
The group has controlled large areas of eastern DR Congo since 2021, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
Angola was trying to mediate talks between President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame. But these broke last month.
“It is disappointing to hear about the capture of the Masisi center by M23,” Alexis Bahunga, a member of the North Kivu provincial council, told AFP.
He said this is “putting the area in a serious crisis for the people” and urged the government to strengthen the military in the region.
One resident told AFP that M23 held a meeting of the town’s residents, saying they “came to liberate the country.
Congolese authorities have yet to comment on the city’s loss.
Masisi, with a population of about 40,000, is the capital of the region of the same name.
About 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the provincial capital of North Kivu, Goma, M23 was temporarily occupied in 2012.
On Friday, M23 captured the nearby town of Katale.
Last year, there was fear that M23 will also march on Gomaa city of about two million people.
However, there was a lull until early December when the fighting resumed.
In July, Rwanda did not deny a The UN report says it has about 4,000 soldiers fighting along the M23 in DR Congo.
It has accused the Congolese government of not doing enough to combat decades of conflict in the east of the country. Rwanda has previously said that DR Congo authorities were collaborating with some of those involved in the 1994 Rwandan genocide of Tutsi and Hutu moderates.
M23, which was formed as an offshoot of another rebel group, began operations in 2012 ostensibly to protect Tutsis in eastern DR Congo who had been complaining of persecution and discrimination.
However, Rwandan critics suspect that the M23 is being used to loot minerals from eastern DR Congo such as gold, cobalt and tantalum, which are used to make mobile phones and batteries for electric cars.
Last month, DR Congo said it had sued Apple for using such “blood minerals”, prompting the giant to stop sourcing from both countries.
Source link
