M23 seizes east DR Congo town in ceasefire violation

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels on Wednesday seized a disputed town in the east Democratic Republic of Congo in a fresh violation of a ceasefire agreed upon in August, local sources told AFP.

Since launching an offensive in late 2021, the largely Tutsi M23 militia has seized large swathes of territory in east DRC, displacing thousands of people and causing a humanitarian disaster.

A ceasefire between the DRC army and the Rwanda-backed M23 had been in place since early August following mediation by Angola.

The truce had been largely respected by the Congolese and Rwandan armies but regularly violated by armed groups affiliated with the countries’ armed forces.