Intense clashes between the Congolese army and M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have displaced over 100,000 people within a week, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The fighting erupted in Masisi, North Kivu province, a region critical for its rich mineral reserves.
M23 rebels, reportedly backed by Rwanda, seized the strategic town on Saturday. Rwanda’s foreign ministry alleged that the areas captured by M23 had been controlled by Hutu militias linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Masisi, with a population of around 40,000, lies 80 km north of Goma, the provincial capital.
Despite some calm returning by January 5, humanitarian agencies warn of worsening conditions, with Masisi already hosting over 600,000 displaced people as of November 2024. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported treating 75 injured people at two local hospitals, which also served as temporary shelters for civilians seeking refuge.
Since 2021, the M23 insurgency has displaced thousands across eastern DRC, exacerbating a dire humanitarian crisis. Angola-brokered peace talks between DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame were abruptly cancelled last month due to disagreements over the proposed deal.
