M23 Rebels Retake Villages in Eastern DR Congo as Ceasefire Falters

Rebels from the March 23 Movement (M23) have regained control of two villages in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo following intense fighting with government troops and allied Wazalendo militias.

The villages of Kasenyi and Luke, located in Masisi territory in North Kivu province, reportedly fell back into rebel hands after M23 launched a counteroffensive, reinforcing its fighters from nearby Rutshuru. The renewed clashes forced residents to flee to safer areas, though no official casualty figures have been released.

The fighting comes days after the Congolese army claimed it had killed M23 military spokesperson Willy Ngoma in a drone strike near the mining hub of Rubaya — a development that appears to have escalated hostilities.

Since re-emerging in late 2021, M23 has seized several strategic towns across eastern DR Congo, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year. While a ceasefire brokered by Angola took effect on February 18, recent violence suggests the truce is increasingly fragile.

Kinshasa and the United Nations have repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the rebel group, allegations Kigali continues to deny.