Photo : Alexis Huguet, AFP
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Alexis Huguet, AFP
IN BRIEF
By Anu Maria Joseph
Democratic Republic of Congo: New wave of fighting in eastern DRC
On 23 October, BBC Africa reported on the eruption of a new wave of fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between the government forces and M23 rebels. According to the report, the rebels have captured the town of Kitshanga in the province of North Kivu. An unnamed security source informed AFP news agency: "The rebels are in Kitshanga and we are trying to find a way to retake the town.” The resumed fighting has disrupted a six-month truce. Previous week, the Congolese government had asked the East African force to leave the country by December owing to its failure in addressing the M23 unrest. Forces from Kenya, Burundi, Uganda and South Sudan have been deployed in the eastern DRC against M23 rebels in November 2022. However, the rebel campaign has worsened in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu with the Rwandan government allegedly supporting the rebels. According to the UN refugee agency, more than 6.2 million people have been displaced due to the insurgency in the region. (“Rebels recapture DR Congo town in fresh fighting,” BBC, 23 October 2023)