AFRICA/DR CONGO - North Kivu: M23 continues to advance

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - The M23 rebel movement continues to advance in the Lubero area, in the province of North Kivu (in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo) (see Fides, 16/12/2024).
The guerrilla movement has taken over the villages of Matembe, Butsorovya, Mambasa and Alimbongo, forcing thousands of people to flee the areas affected by the fighting.
In the area around Lubero, the capital of the region of the same name, the humanitarian situation remains critical. The already critical social and health situation threatens to worsen further due to the influx of displaced people and the ongoing instability. Humanitarian organizations fear an impending crisis, while the basic needs of the population are becoming increasingly difficult to meet.
The capture of Alimbongo paves the way for the rebels to conquer Lubero and plunges the population into panic.
The fear that has spread among the population is exacerbated by the lack of information provided by the Congolese armed forces, according to Butembo Urban Coordination, a civil society association in this important commercial center of the region and logistics center of the Congolese army. The statement calls on the population not to panic "despite the imminent threat" posed by the M23.
Clashes between armed groups that support the actions of government troops and are commonly referred to as "Wazalendo" are also adding to the confusion.
On December 14, two "Wazalendo" groups clashed in a military camp on Tabor Hill (Tabora) on the grounds of the Catholic University of Graben (UCG) in western Butembo. The armed clashes caused great concern among the population.
Finally, the Congolese security forces are only reinforcing the general feeling of insecurity by calling on the population to beware of truck and taxi drivers coming from the areas controlled by the M23 (considering them to be potential spies and/or saboteurs).
Meanwhile, Father Aurélien Kambale Rukwata, head of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Diocese of Butembo-Beni, stressed the need to ensure justice for the victims of human rights violations in this part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. On the occasion of World Human Rights Day, celebrated on December 10, the priest said: “These thousands of people who have been murdered for no reason must one day be dealt with by the justice system. If the state itself is unable to ensure justice, there are international mechanisms to which it can resort. I was delighted to learn that the International Criminal Court will soon be dealing with the North Kivu case.” (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 18/12/2024)

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