Heavy fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has displaced over 100,000 people after rebels captured the town of Nyanzale. The two-day conflict, which began on Monday, saw the M23 (March 23 Movement) launch an offensive in North Kivu province, extending their control northward.
The violence erupted in Nyanzale, a town previously home to around 80,000 residents. Shelling attacks on civilian areas resulted in at least 15 deaths, including children, according to medical sources and witnesses. The clashes forced residents to flee, adding to the tens of thousands already displaced by earlier conflicts in the region.
The fighting continued through Wednesday evening, spreading to several areas including Kibirizi, which is now largely deserted by residents and aid workers. A UN peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO) reported the M23 shelling a camp for displaced people near Nyanzale, injuring civilians and raising concerns of further displacement if hostilities persist.
This renewed conflict comes after a dormant period of eight years for the M23 rebellion. Since late 2021, the Tutsi-led group has seized significant territory in North Kivu, effectively cutting off land access to the provincial capital Goma except through the Rwandan border. The DRC government, the UN, and Western nations accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, a claim Rwanda denies.
The recent clashes add to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the DRC, where nearly seven million people are internally displaced, with North Kivu province alone accounting for 2.5 million.
