Fighting between M23 rebels and pro-government militias continued on Sunday in the town of Nyabiondo, located about 100 kilometers north of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The renewed violence follows a deadly assault earlier in the week that resulted in significant civilian casualties.
Local authorities reported that M23 forces launched a large-scale attack on Nyabiondo in the morning, eventually taking control of the area. Heavy gunfire was heard across the town’s center, where intense clashes were ongoing.
This escalation comes just days after violent confrontations erupted between M23 fighters and pro-government militias in the village of Tambi, approximately 18 kilometers northeast of Masisi. An overnight assault on March 5 resulted in the deaths of multiple civilians. According to an internal United Nations assessment, the death toll from that attack is believed to range between 13 and 40 people.
Amid the ongoing conflict, a rebel spokesperson announced that a pro-government militia operating in eastern Congo had defected and joined the M23-led alliance. In response, a representative of the broader coalition to which the militia previously belonged stated that the remaining factions remain committed to supporting the Congolese government and its armed forces.
The M23 rebel group, which has expanded its presence across mineral-rich territories since the beginning of the year, claims to seek political change in Kinshasa. The group accuses the Congolese government of failing to honor past peace agreements and of excluding Congolese Tutsis from national institutions and the military.
The expansion into areas with valuable mineral resources is also seen as an opportunity for M23 to increase its access to mining revenues.
Tensions between DRC and neighboring Rwanda continue to escalate. The Congolese government has long accused Kigali of supporting the M23 rebellion — a charge the Rwandan government denies. In turn, Rwanda accuses Kinshasa of collaborating with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Hutu militia with historical links to the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide — an allegation that the DRC government also refutes.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has officially designated M23 as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, both the United Nations and the United States classify the group as an armed rebel faction.
