Kinshasa [Congo], January 6: Rebel forces backed by Rwanda have captured the town of Masisi in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to various reports.
This is the second town seized by the M23 group in as many days in the mineral-rich North Kivu province.
The group has taken control of vast swathes of eastern DR Congo since 2021, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
Angola has been attempting to mediate talks between President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame. But these broke down last month.
"It is with dismay that we learn of the capture of Masisi centre by the M23," Alexis Bahunga, a member of North Kivu provincial assembly, told the AFP news agency.
He said this "plunges the territory into a serious humanitarian crisis" and urged the government to strengthen the capacity of the army in the region.
One resident told AFP that the M23 had held a meeting of the town's inhabitants, saying they had "come to liberate the country".
The Congolese authorities have not yet commented on the loss of the town.
It is not clear how many people were killed in the fighting between the M23 and the army and pro-government militias. The town was reported to be quiet on Sunday.
Masisi, which has a population of about 40,000, is the capital of the territory of the same name. It is about 80km (50 miles) north of the North Kivu provincial capital Goma, which the M23 briefly occupied in 2012. On Friday, the M23 captured the nearby town of Katale.
Last year, there were fears that the M23 would once again march on Goma, a city of about two million people.
However, there was then a lull in fighting until early December when fighting resumed.
In July, Rwanda did not deny a UN report saying it had about 4,000 soldiers fighting alongside the M23 in DR Congo. It accused the Congolese government of not doing enough to tackle decades of conflict in the east of the country. (Agencies)
Source: Qatar Tribune
