For over a decade, armed conflict has been tearing apart the provinces of South and North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). With the emergence of the M23 rebel group and recent accusations of support from Rwanda, the conflict risks spreading to its African neighbors. At the same time, cooperation agreements on raw materials between the European Union, the DRC and Rwanda are stirring up controversy, fuelling tensions in a region already tested by multiple tragedies.
Since 2004, armed conflict has ravaged the provinces of South Kivu and North Kivu in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), resulting in the internal displacement of almost 7 million people, according to a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) published in October 2023. The human toll is incalculable, but it is estimated that millions of people have lost their lives as a result of the political instability that has plagued the region since the late 1990s.
Last February, the fiercest fighting took place mainly around Sake, a town located in Masisi territory, some twenty kilometers west of Goma. Sake is considered a major strategic position on the road to the provincial capital.
However, in early March, the rebels relaunched an offensive some 70 kilometers north of Goma and the neighboring territory of Rutshuru, which they largely control.
After eight years of inactivity, the M23 (“March 23rd Movement”), a rebellion composed mainly of Tutsis, took up arms again at the end of 2021. With the support of the Rwandan army, the rebels have conquered vast territories in North Kivu, a province bordering Rwanda and Uganda, covering almost 60,000 square kilometers and divided into six territories.
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