The M23 rebel group has resumed its attacks on the Congolese military in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after a brief two-day lull. On Tuesday, they launched an assault near Ihusi, close to key military infrastructure in Kavumu and not far from the provincial capital of Bukavu. This resurgence in violence comes after the M23 captured Goma in North Kivu last month, killing thousands in a bloody raid.
Despite calls for a ceasefire from 24 regional leaders, the group, which claims to protect ethnic Tutsis, continues to advance on South Kivu. Bukavu has been on high alert, with schools closed and residents fleeing in anticipation of an impending offensive.
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Meanwhile, reports from a displacement camp in North Kivu suggest that M23 forces have ordered people to leave. However, the group denies these accusations, claiming that those leaving are returning voluntarily to their homes in areas they deem “liberated.”
Many of the displaced have lived in the Bulengo camp for up to two years, uncertain if they will find their homes intact.
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