The M23 rebel group has advanced in the DRC, capturing key regions and facing minimal resistance from government troops amid defections. The DRC government has announced a $5 million reward for the capture of M23 leaders. Violence has increased, leading to civilian displacement and significant concerns for humanitarian safety.
The M23 rebel group is making significant advances within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), having captured strategic cities including Goma and Bukavu in North and South Kivu provinces. Recent reports indicate that M23 forces have entered Nyabwindo village, situated approximately 100 kilometers north of Goma, which provides access to the crucial town of Walikale. This move is alarming for the DRC government as Walikale houses vital industrial mines essential for tax revenues, emphasized by Al Jazeera’s Alain Uaykani.
In a troubling development for government forces, the Group Kabido, an allied armed faction, has announced its defection to the M23, citing grievances over the incompetence of the DRC’s Kinshasa government. This alliance indicates severe disarray within DRC military ranks, with Uaykani highlighting that the M23 is capitalizing on this instability. Moreover, a second group is reported to have followed suit in supporting the M23 amidst the ongoing conflict.
The ongoing violence has led to considerable humanitarian crises, severely impacting civilians. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported grave attacks on hospitals and other infrastructures, forcing numerous civilians to flee their homes. Between February 18 and 25, four civilians reportedly lost their lives due to clashes in the Masisi district, displacing over 100,000 people in Lubero alone. The rising insecurity has also resulted in the closure of hospitals and schools in various regions, with local authorities expressing deep concern over escalating criminality in Goma.
In response to the worsening situation, the DRC government has declared a reward of $5 million for information leading to the capture of prominent M23 leaders, including Corneille Nangaa, Bertrand Bisimwa, and Sultani Makenga. Each of these individuals has been convicted in absentia and sentenced to death by a Kinshasa court. Furthermore, a bounty of $4 million is being offered for leads on their accomplices. Since the beginning of the year, violence in eastern DRC has claimed over 7,000 lives, with a significant portion being civilian casualties. The M23, among more than 200 armed factions in the eastern DRC, resumed hostilities in 2021 and has regained substantial territory, prompting serious allegations of Rwandan support, which the Rwandan government has vehemently denied.
The M23 rebels continue to gain ground in the DRC, threatening both strategic locations and the existing government forces. With rising defections and increasing violence leading to significant civilian displacement, the situation remains critical. The DRC government’s $5 million reward for capturing M23 leaders underscores the urgent need to address the rebel threat as well as the humanitarian crisis affecting countless lives in the region.
Original Source: www.aljazeera.com
