Intense Fighting in DR Congo As Warring Parties Defy Peace Agreements
The ongoing violence underscores the challenges of achieving lasting stability in a region beset by conflict.
Amid local and foreign interventions to achieve peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo‘s eastern region, violent clashes persist across various fronts in the country. The fighting between the M23 rebels and government forces has caused chaos in Kibati, an area dominated by the Luberike tribal group in the Walikale territory of North Kivu.
Local sources told HumAngle that Congolese forces launched an attack on the morning of Jan. 5, targeting the M23 positions to dislodge them from the town. In Kashabere, a neighbourhood in the North Kivu province, witnesses reported incidents of heavy and light weapons fire, putting the residents in difficult situations.
Due to the clashes, road movements have been suspended between Kashebere and Mungazi. After a week of fire exchange between the warring parties, a relative calm has returned to Buhimba, a village populated by the Waloa Yungu tribal group.
According to Mwami Mérovin, the chief of the Waloa Yungu tribal group, Buhimba remains under the control of Congolese forces. However, the rebels have withdrawn towards Kasopo and Mahanga, located in Masisi territory. The local chief added that inhabitants of villages neighbouring Buhimba, notably Ngenge and Kailenga, have once again been forced to flee into the bushes for safety away from the violence.
The M23/AFC rebels recently attacked Congolese military bases in Buhimba and Kilongo to expand their territories. The rebels faced fierce resistance from government forces before being pushed towards Kasopo and Mahanga.
Recent peace agreements have sought to reduce tensions in the DR Congo, but the warring parties have repeatedly violated them. On June 19, the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group signed a peace accord in Doha, committing to a lasting ceasefire and promising to refrain from hate speech and territorial conflict. This came after a separate agreement between Congo and Rwanda in Washington aimed at reinstating authority and initiating direct discussions for a comprehensive peace settlement.
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