KEY POINTS
- M23 rebels press deeper into Congo despite ceasefire calls.
- Gunfire reported as M23 rebels clash with military and militias.
- The westward advance brings M23 rebels closer to Kisangani.
A day after the presidents of Rwanda and Congo demanded an urgent ceasefire, M23 rebels backed by Rwanda pushed farther into Congolese territory. Residents told Reuters that the rebels had moved into Walikale’s outskirts late on Wednesday.
M23 rebels enter Walikale, a key town in Congo’s west
Janvier Kabutwa, a resident of Walikale, reported hearing gunfire close to the town’s Nyabangi district. After mounting a surprise attack and taking control of an army position outside the town, the rebels were now engaged in combat with soldiers and pro-government militias, according to an army source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Situated in an area rich in minerals, notably tin, Walikale is the furthest west the M23 rebels have advanced this year. roughly 15,000 people live in the town, which is roughly 125 kilometers (80 miles) northwest of Goma, the biggest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo that the rebels took control of in January. Following Walikale’s seizure, the rebels are 400 kilometers from Kisangani, the fourth-largest city in the Congo.
M23 rebels approach Kisangani after advancing across mineral-rich areas
Last week, Alphamin Resources (AFM.V) had to halt operations at its Bisie tin mine, which is roughly 60 km northwest of Walikale, due to the westward advance. Foreign powers and neighboring nations have stepped up diplomatic attempts to put an end to the crisis in eastern Congo, which has grown to be the worst since the 1998–2003 conflict that encompassed multiple neighboring nations.
According to Reuters, the first direct meetings between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi since the M23 offensive intensified in January took place in Qatar on Tuesday. Together with Qatar, they released a statement demanding a “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire.
Rwanda has denied the UN’s accusations that it is arming and sending troops to back the ethnic Tutsi-led rebels. Rwanda insists that its military efforts are self-defense against the Congolese army and a militia that was established by some of the genocide perpetrators in Rwanda in 1994.
After Tshisekedi’s administration overturned its long-standing stance against interacting with the rebels, Congo and M23 were scheduled to have their first direct discussions in Angola on Tuesday. Citing sanctions imposed by the European Union on some of its leaders and Rwandan officials, M23 withdrew from the negotiations on Monday.
