The M23 rebel group has successfully taken possession of the town of Nyanzale in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, causing a tragic toll with at least 15 casualties in bomb attacks, as reported by a local official on Wednesday.
Situated approximately 130 km (80 miles) north by road from the provincial capital Goma, Nyanzale has been home to thousands of internally displaced people who sought refuge from the ongoing conflicts in surrounding areas.
“It is since the morning that we noticed the capture of Nyanzale by the M23, and the death toll rose to 15,” said Isaac Kibira, a deputy to the governor in the nearby town of Bambo. “The victims were killed by bombs fired indiscriminately by the M23,” he told media, adding that 10 people were killed in one house and other bodies found throughout the city.
In a post on X late Tuesday, M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma hinted at the group’s control, describing Nyanzale as experiencing “tranquillity and deliverance.”
Congolese army commander Jerome Chico Tshitambwe confirmed the capture when questioned about M23 seizing Nyanzale, responding with a definitive “yes.”
The M23, led by the Tutsi community, has intensified its campaign in eastern Congo this year. While U.N. experts and Western powers, including the United States and France, assert that the group receives support from Rwanda, Rwanda vehemently denies these allegations.
This week, the European Union called for dialogue between Congo and Rwanda to address the root causes of the conflict, emphasizing that only a political solution could bring an end to the ongoing crisis.
Expressing concern, the EU noted, “The strengthening of military capabilities, as well as the use of surface-to-air missiles and sophisticated drones, constitute a worrying escalation.”
According to the U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA, around 100,000 people have fled Nyanzale in the past few days since the M23’s recent advance.
