Rwanda-backed rebels enter mineral-rich town in Congo, defying ceasefire
calls
[March 20, 2025]
By JUSTIN KABUMBA
GOMA, Congo (AP) — Rwanda-backed M23 rebels entered the strategic town
of Walikale in eastern Congo late Wednesday, according to residents and
civil society leaders, a day after the Congolese and Rwandan presidents
called for an immediate ceasefire.
“The information is confirmed: the rebels are visible at the monument
and at the Bakusu group office," Prince Kihangi, a former provincial
deputy elected for the Walikale territory told The Associated Press over
the phone, referring to locations in the centre of Walikale. "This
confirms the presence of the M23 in the territorial capital."
By taking control of Walikale, the M23 rebels seized a road linking four
provinces in the east of the country: North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and
Maniema, cutting off Congolese army's positions.
Heavy artillery fire could be heard throughout the day but ceased in the
evening, giving way to sporadic gunfire, Fiston Misona, a civil society
activist in Walikale, told the AP over the phone.
“Our Congolese army is no longer fighting,” he said. “It’s as if we were
being sacrificed.”
There was no immediate comment from the M23 or the Congolese government.
The escalation in fighting comes a day after the presidents of Congo and
Rwanda held unexpected talks in Qatar and called for an immediate and
unconditional ceasefire.
The meeting followed a failed attempt to bring Congo’s government and
M23 leaders together for ceasefire negotiations on Tuesday. The rebels
pulled out Monday after the European Union announced sanctions on rebel
leaders.
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Former members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic
of Congo (FARDC) and police officers who allegedly surrendered to
M23 rebels arrive in Goma, Congo, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP
Photo/Moses Sawasawa, file)
The decades-long conflict in eastern Congo escalated in January when
the Rwanda-backed rebels advanced and seized the strategic city of
Goma, followed by Bukavu in February.
M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a
foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda,
in a conflict that has created one of the world’s most significant
humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been displaced.
The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring
Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and at times have vowed to march
as far as Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, about 1,600 kilometers (1,000
miles) to the east.
The U.N. Human Rights Council last month launched a commission to
investigate atrocities, including allegations of rape and killing
akin to “summary executions” by both sides.
The Walikale area is home to the largest tin deposits in Congo and
to several significant gold mines. The Bisie tin mine, around 60
kilometers (35 miles) northwest of the town, accounts for the
majority of tin exports from North Kivu province. Last week, its
operator Alphamin Resources said it was temporarily halting mining
operations due to the rebels' advance.
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