Goma : resumption of deadly fighting between the M23 and the Congolese army supported by local militias

A dozen people were killed on Monday in the Bashali chiefdom in hostilities between the M23 rebels and the Congolese army supported by local militias maintained by Congolese authorities. The local civil society speaks of a massive displacement of the population following this fighting. INFO SOS Médias Burundi
The fighting broke out on Monday morning, according to local sources. It took place in the Bashali chiefdom located between the territories of Masisi and Rutschuru in the province of North Kivu in eastern Congo. The local civil society says that the clashes have caused massive displacement of inhabitants of this area. Households in the localities of Kashuga and Ibuge were the ones who were most affected.
« Yes, we woke up under a lot of tension following the fighting this morning, between the Wazalendo (name given to the local militias maintained by Congolese authorities)
and the M23 in our villages. Simultaneous attacks were recorded in the morning hours, and we fled to the most secure villages, » Tobirwakyo Kahangu, president of the civil society in the Bashali chiefdom, told SOS Médias Burundi late Monday afternoon. Residents report hearing the crackle of heavy and light weapons.
The local administrators in Kashuga and Ibuge put the toll at 17 civilians killed while trying to flee to areas deemed secure. About forty others were seriously injured. The wounded were evacuated to health facilities in Mweso and Kitchanga, still in North Kivu.
The M23 is a former Tutsi rebellion that took up arms again at the end of 2021, accusing the Congolese government of not having respected its commitments on the reintegration of its fighters. Congolese authorities remain convinced that it benefits from support from Rwanda, which the Rwandan government continues to dismiss out of hand.