Although the Congolese government and M23 recently signed a Qatar-brokered peace framework in Doha, clashes erupted Thursday in several areas including Kibati in Walikale territory, Kinyumba, and Nyabiondo in Masisi.
Residents said fighting began after government troops attacked M23 positions in Kinyumba. The Congolese army also deployed a fighter jet to strike rebel sites in Walikale and Masisi.
A bomb blast in Kautu village left one person seriously injured, according to villagers. The victim received treatment locally, but residents warned that many clinics lack medicine after being looted during recent skirmishes.
Media reports said M23 captured Mahanga in Masisi territory earlier this week.
Vianney Kitswamba, a security protection coordinator in Masisi, said the security situation remains “extremely precarious,” noting that several districts have again been emptied as families flee renewed violence.
In South Kivu’s Kabare territory, at least 22 civilians aged between 20 and 40 were shot dead overnight on Nov. 23–24 during clashes involving self-defense groups and M23 fighters, according to the military. The victims were allegedly accused of collaborating with Wazalendo.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege condemned the killings, saying on X that the men were “arrested, then executed by M23 elements.” He said the Katana health center was also attacked, leaving a patient and two nurses dead.
Kinshasa, the UN, and several Western governments continue to accuse Rwanda of supporting M23 — an allegation Kigali denies.
A recent report by Congo’s Ebuteli Research Institute identified the M23 and ADF armed groups as among the most violent in October. UN peacekeepers (MONUSCO) reported that ADF attacks between Nov. 13 and 19 killed at least 89 people in North Kivu.