Rebels capture strategic town in eastern Congo bordering Uganda

M23 units resumed their offensive in North Kivu in mid-October, capturing over ten major settlements.

Militants from the March 23 Movement (M23) have seized Kamandi-Gite, a key town in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo’s North Kivu province, which borders Uganda, South African radio station SABC reported.

According to the report, M23 forces captured the town following clashes with the Wazalendo movement, a coalition of rebel groups allied with the official armed forces.

As a result, residents of Kamandi-Gite, a town with a population of 30,000, and its surrounding settlements have begun fleeing.M23 units resumed their offensive in North Kivu in mid-October, capturing over ten major settlements.

While the hostilities have mainly involved fighting between the M23 and Wazalendo, there have also been skirmishes between the rebels and Congolese regular troops in several areas.

Neither side has announced an official withdrawal from the ceasefire, which has been in place between the Congolese army and the M23 since early August this year.

The March 23 Movement was formed in 2012 by deserters from the Congolese army. The M23 resumed its offensive in eastern Congo in January 2021 and has since gained control of several settlements in North Kivu.

The Congolese government accuses Rwanda of supporting the rebels.The Wazalendo movement was established last year to support Congolese forces in the country’s eastern regions.