The Democratic Republic of Congo’s army announced on Tuesday that it had regained control of the eastern town of Kalembe, just a day after M23 rebels had seized it. However, M23 rebels disputed the claim, stating they still hold the town.
Kalembe, located in the volatile Walikale territory of North Kivu, fell into the hands of the Tutsi-led M23 group on Sunday. The M23, which has reignited its insurgency in eastern Congo since 2022, is accused by Congo and the UN of receiving military support from neighboring Rwanda—allegations Rwanda denies.
Army spokesperson Sylvain Ekenge stated that Kalembe was retaken on Monday, but Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), which includes M23, maintained that the rebels remain in control. Fighting between the army’s allied militias and the M23 is still ongoing in some areas.
The M23’s attack violates a ceasefire brokered by Angola in August, according to Angola’s government. Despite the army’s claim of victory, Kabaki Alimasi, an official from Walikale, warned that M23 forces are still nearby, with gunfire heard in the area. Thousands of civilians who fled the violence have yet to return.
The resurgence of conflict in Congo’s mineral-rich east has exacerbated a dire humanitarian situation in North Kivu, where the UN estimates that 2.6 million people have been displaced as of September.
