The fighting, which involved the APCLS (Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo), Nyatura and FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) militias, caused a massive displacement of the population and the paralysis of activities in the neighboring town of Kitchanga.
These battles are taking place on the western front of the M23 offensive, towards Masisi territory. Similar clashes took place on November 29 in the village of Kishishe, a little further north, where a massacre of civilians would have killed up to 300 people according to the Congolese authorities. These accuse the M23, which has denied.
Moreover, in a press release in English signed by its political spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, the M23 said “ready to start disengaging and withdrawing“as requested by the November 23 Luanda summit.
This mini-summit decided on a ceasefire on the evening of the 25th, followed two days later by a withdrawal of the M23 from the conquered areas. Otherwise, the East African regional force being deployed in North Kivu would intervene to dislodge the rebels.
A ceasefire held for a few days but no withdrawal has been observed so far.
The M23 (“March 23 Movement”), supported by Rwanda according to American diplomacy and UN experts, requests in its press release a meeting with the East African force and the “ad-hoc verification mechanism“, to discuss the terms of a withdrawal.
The M23, a former Tutsi rebellion defeated in 2013 which took up arms once more at the end of last year, also reiterates its request for “dialogue direct” with the Congolese government. Kinshasa refuses to discuss with this movement, which it describes as “terrorist“, as long as he has not withdrawn from his positions.
The movement was also absent from a new session of talks between the Congolese authorities and the multiple armed groups active in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo which ended on Tuesday, December 6 in Nairobi.
