Clashes break out in Congo as militants resume attacks on civilians

At least 15 people were killed in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on November 3 by militants from the March 23 Movement (M23).

The civilians were attacked in North Kivu province. The assailants opened fire on the crowd with machine guns, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.  

M23 forces have resumed their offensive in North Kivu since mid-October. The clashes have occurred in some areas between regular Congolese troops and the militants. However, neither side has officially announced a departure from the ceasefire, which has been in effect between the Congolese army and M23 rebels since early August 2024. The March 23 Movement was formed in 2012 by deserters from the Congolese army.

M23 launched its military operations in eastern DRC in January 2021 and has captured several towns and villages in North Kivu. The DRC government accuses Rwanda of supporting the rebels.

The origins of the M23 trace back to the disrupted integration of Rwandophone fighters following the Congo Wars, leading to a division between those wishing to return to Rwanda and those wanting to remain in the DRC.

Most of these fighters stayed in North Kivu and formed the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), led by former Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) member Laurent Nkunda. The CNDP, a predecessor to the M23, aimed to protect Congolese Tutsi and received backing from Rwanda. The name "M23" refers to the failed negotiations between the CNDP and the Congolese government that occurred on March 23, 2009.

By Naila Huseynova