M23 rebels seize key eastern DRC town of Minova

Authorities accidental M23 rebels person seized the municipality of Minova, a commercialized hub for the eastbound provincial superior of Goma.

M23 rebels person seized the municipality of Minova successful eastbound DR Congo, a cardinal proviso way for the provincial superior Goma, authorities said.

The provincial politician of South Kivu, Jean-Jacques Purusi, connected Tuesday confirmed the seizure of Minova, adding that the rebels person besides captured the mining towns of Lumbishi, Numbi and Shanje successful the aforesaid province, arsenic good arsenic the municipality of Bweremana successful neighbouring North Kivu province.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) service acknowledged that the rebels had made “breakthroughs” successful Minova and Bweremana. It did not accidental if the towns had been captured.

M23, oregon the March 23 Movement, is an equipped radical composed of taste Tutsis who broke distant from the Congolese service much than 10 years ago. Since its resurgence successful 2022, M23 has continued to summation crushed successful eastbound DRC.

It is 1 of astir 100 equipped groups that person been vying for a foothold successful mineral-rich eastbound Congo, successful a decades-long conflict that has created 1 of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

Since 1998, astir six cardinal radical person been killed portion astir 7 cardinal person been displaced internally.

More than 237,000 radical person been displaced by the warring successful eastbound Congo since the opening of this year, the United Nations exile bureau said successful a study connected Monday.

The DRC and the United Nations impeach Rwanda of supporting M23 with troops and weapons – thing Rwanda denies.

Battles adjacent Goma

Fighting has been taking spot connected respective fronts astir Goma and hundreds of thousands of radical are displaced astir the outskirts of the city, which was concisely captured by the M23 successful 2012.

Speaking from Goma, Al Jazeera’s Alain Uaykani said that “people successful Goma are disquieted astir bombs from the beforehand enactment reaching neighbourhoods successful the city.”

Many routes starring to Goma person been chopped disconnected by fighting, and radical often transverse Lake Kivu with supplies connected overloaded boats. Shipwrecks are predominant connected the lake.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that astir planetary organisations and NGOs based successful Minova person temporarily suspended their activities.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies