Clashes have become worse in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). The national army has returned to places they left earlier this year, according to the United Nations and local sources.
After a break of six months, fighting has started again this month. It’s happening between local armed groups and the M23 rebel group in North Kivu province, as reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Since October 1, at least 20 civilians have died, and 30 others got hurt because of this new fighting in DR Congo. OCHA says that more than 84,700 people have had to leave their homes because of the violence. They are finding it difficult to get help because of the increased fighting.
The fighting is happening in areas where a group from East Africa came in early 2023. They were supposed to create a safe zone between the different armed groups.
A town called Kitshanga, which is important and 50 kilometers away from the provincial capital, Goma, recently went from being controlled by the East African group to the M23 rebel group. The M23 rebels had forced the army out of the town in January. But now, reports say that hundreds of national army troops have gone back to Kitshanga. However, there are reports that fighting has started again after the army came.
Further south in Kilolirwe, which also went under M23 control last week, local people say that army soldiers arrived on foot and in two jeeps. They gave food to fighters who are against the M23. Witnesses say that there is fighting going on there on Monday afternoon.
A spokesman for the military in North Kivu said that the army is following the ceasefire. The main armed groups in the province had said they were ready to stop fighting at the end of September. But just a few days later, there were attacks on villages in Masisi and Rutshuru territory.
The M23 rebels, who are supported by Rwanda, have taken control of large parts of North Kivu. They have forced more than a million people to leave their homes since they started their attacks again in late 2021.
There are many different armed groups in eastern DR Congo. This is because of the wars that happened in the 1990s and 2000s in the region.
