Although both sides kept exchanging gunfire, Angola negotiated a tenuous ceasefire in early August that stabilized the situation at the front line.
Despite a ceasefire, fighting has escalated over the past four days in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo between the Congolese army and M23 rebels who are allegedly connected to neighboring Rwanda, according to military and civilian sources who spoke to AFP.
The M23 rebels, who claim to be defending ethnic Tutsis, have taken over large areas of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2021, forcing thousands of people to flee and causing a humanitarian crisis. Goma, the provincial capital, is now almost completely encircled by it.
Although both sides kept exchanging gunfire, Angola negotiated a tenuous ceasefire in early August that stabilized the situation at the front line.
However, despite efforts by the Congolese military and government-aligned armed groups to restrain them, M23 started conducting localized offensives in late October.
Through Angola’s mediation, the DRC and Rwanda have maintained diplomatic communication thus far despite ceasefire violations.
An M23 official told AFP on Thursday that “we are not concerned in any way” by the DRC-Rwanda accord.
On Sunday, fighting heated up in Lubero territory, north of the M23’s operational theater.
Trade accusations
The front line has taken up residence along the road that leads to Butembo, a major commercial center that is under Kinshasa’s authority and is roughly 60 kilometers (37 miles) away from the fighting.
Since then, the fighting has intensified west of the salient, which is the point of the front line that extends into enemy territory. Both sides claim responsibility for the initial onslaught.
Both sides informed AFP that they had taken and held villages and positions, but at this point, no significant advance could be found.
The Congolese military told AFP that fighting was still going on Thursday, although it was unclear how things were actually going on the ground.
Fears of an escalation have been raised by the belligerents’ deployment of troops to the northern front, which had been comparatively steady since the truce was agreed, according to several military and local sources.
Colonel Alain Kiwewa, the territorial administrator for Lubero, told AFP that displaced residents started moving in droves to Kitsambiro, a town north of the fighting area, on Monday.
On December 15, Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, and Felix Tshisekedi, the president of Congo, are scheduled to meet for negotiations in Luanda, the capital of Angola.
