The Democratic Republic of Congo’s military and M23 rebels clashed again on Sunday around a densely populated town in North Kivu province, where the rebels have been waging an insurgency, according to both the army and M23.
Following the capture of Kirumba and Kanyabayonga by the M23 in late June, renewed fighting broke out.
M23 representative Willy Ngoma reported that government forces attacked rebel positions around Kirumba early Sunday, with clashes continuing.
The army confirmed skirmishes with the M23 in the village of Kikuvo, approximately twelve kilometers from Kirumba.
The M23, a Tutsi-led group, has been spearheading a new insurgency in eastern Congo since 2022.
Congo’s government, the United Nations, the United States, and other Western nations have accused Rwanda of backing the M23, a claim Rwanda denies.
These accusations have notably strained relations between Congo and Rwanda.
Efforts to push back the M23 rebels have intensified over the past year, but regionally brokered ceasefires have consistently failed. The latest ceasefire, agreed upon at the end of July, was scheduled to begin on August 4.
The conflict has displaced over 1.7 million people in North Kivu, contributing to a record 7.2 million displaced Congolese across multiple conflicts, according to U.N. estimates.
Towns like Kirumba and Kanyabayonga, heavily impacted by the fighting, are hosting thousands of displaced individuals.
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