Fresh fighting between the Democratic Republic of Congo’s armed forces and the M23 rebel movement has pushed civilian populations in the eastern provinces to what aid workers are describing as a breaking point, with tens of thousands of people displaced in recent weeks as clashes advance across territories that had previously been considered relatively stable.
The fighting, concentrated in North Kivu province, has seen M23 forces advance on towns and trading centres that had previously been under government control. The rebel group, widely understood to have the backing of Rwanda, has demonstrated an increasing capacity to hold and administer territory rather than simply raiding and retreating.
Civilian Cost
The human toll of the current offensive is severe. Displacement camps that were already housing thousands of people displaced by earlier phases of the conflict are now overwhelmed with new arrivals. Food supplies in several camps are described by aid workers as critically low, and medical facilities are struggling to cope with both the volume of casualties from the fighting and the disease outbreaks that typically follow large-scale displacement.
The conduct of both sides has raised serious concerns among human rights organisations. The Congolese army has been accused of carrying out abuses against civilians in areas where operations against M23 are underway. M23 fighters have been credibly accused of summary executions, sexual violence, and the forced recruitment of young men and boys.
International Response
The renewed fighting has strained the diplomatic architecture that was meant to manage the Congo-Rwanda conflict. A US-brokered agreement signed by both countries in Washington in December 2025 was hailed as a potential breakthrough, but its implementation has been halting at best.
For the wider region, the conflict is a reminder that the structural drivers of instability in eastern DR Congo remain deeply entrenched.
Source: France24 / BBC Africa / African News