M23 Rebels Kill DR Congo Military Officer In Rutshuru

A colonel of the Democratic Republic of Congo national army, FARDC, was killed on Tuesday, Jan. 25, in an attack by rebels of the M23 movement in Rutshuru territory.

Local sources informed HumAngle that fighting broke out at about 23:30 hours in Bukima, eastern Rumangabo, and one military officer was killed. 

The Congolese troops, the sources revealed, have been trying to dislodge the assailants who control a part of Rutshuru territory. 

The M23 rebel group has been in the news since last year following several attacks carried out by its men in Rutshuru territory of North Kivu. The national army said the M23 combatants in the area have been coming in from Rwanda.

During a cabinet meeting on Friday, Jan. 7,  the Minister of National Defense and former combatants had indicated that “in Rutshuru territory, dispositions have been taken to stop all attempts to attack by armed groups, particularly the remnants of M23 and other armed groups which are their accomplices.”

The continued attacks by the armed group indicate that the dispositions put in place have not been effective. 

In Oct. 2019, the DR Congo and Rwanda had agreed on modalities to repatriate former M23 combatants living in Congo.

However, in spite of the closeness between Kinshasa and Kigali, the two countries are finding it difficult to execute the agreement. 

This inability to follow-up on the modalities agreed upon has been responsible for the continued security threats in North Kivu where a state of siege has been in force since May 6, 2021.