Rebel forces aligned with Rwanda have seized control of Masisi, a town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This marks the second town captured by the M23 group within two days. The M23 has been expanding its control in the mineral-rich North Kivu province since 2021, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. Despite mediation efforts by Angola, talks between DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame collapsed last month.
Rebel forces backed by Rwanda have captured the town of Masisi in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to various reports. This is the second town seized by the M23 group in as many days in the mineral-rich North Kivu province. The group has taken control of vast swathes of eastern DR Congo since 2021, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
Angola has been attempting to mediate talks between President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame. But these broke down last month. 'It is with dismay that we learn of the capture of Masisi centre by the M23,' Alexis Bahunga, a member of North Kivu provincial assembly, told the AFP news agency. He said this 'plunges the territory into a serious humanitarian crisis' and urged the government to strengthen the capacity of the army in the region. One resident told AFP that the M23 had held a meeting of the town's inhabitants, saying they had 'come to liberate the country'.Masisi, which has a population of about 40,000, is the capital of the territory of the same name. It is about 80km (50 miles) north of the North Kivu provincial capital Goma, which the M23 briefly occupied in 2012. However, there was then a lull in fighting until early December when fighting resumed.It accused the Congolese government of not doing enough to tackle decades of conflict in the east of the country. Rwanda has previously said the authorities in DR Congo were working with some of those responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide against ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The M23, formed as an offshoot of another rebel group, began operating in 2012 ostensibly to protect the Tutsi population in the east of DR Congo which had long complained of persecution and discrimination. However, Rwanda's critics accuse it of using the M23 to loot eastern DR Congo's minerals such as gold, cobalt and tantalum, which are used to make mobile phones and batteries for electric car
DR CONGO RWANDA M23 REBELS MASISI NORTH KIVU HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
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