The March 23 Movement (M23) continues to gain ground in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The armed group seized Masisi last Saturday (04/01/2025, editor’s note), after three days of violent clashes with the Congolese army and local Wazalendo militias.
This key town, located about 80 kilometers west of Goma, has been the scene of fighting for several weeks. A situation which makes the international community fear a humanitarian catastrophe, with a massive population displacement. The country already has nearly 7 million internally displaced people according to the UN.
Since November 2021, the M23 rebellion (for “March 23 Movement”) has seized large swathes of territory in eastern DR Congo, rich in natural resources and torn apart by conflicts for thirty years.
Last December, an attempt at dialogue between Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan Paul Kagame, whose country is accused of supporting the M23, was finally canceled. Initiated by the head of state Joao Lourenco, mediator appointed by the African Union, this summit should have led to the signing of an agreement for the restoration of peace and stability in the east of the DRC. The parties failed to agree on terms.
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