The decades-long conflict in eastern Congo escalated in January, when the M23 rebels advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma, followed by the town of Bukavu in February
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels battling Congo’s army captured another strategic town in the country’s mineral-rich east, residents and insurgents said Thursday, despite ceasefire calls this week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents.
The decades-long conflict in eastern Congo escalated in January, when the M23 rebels advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma, followed by the town of Bukavu in February.
The latest fighting came after the presidents of Congo and Rwanda held unexpected talks in Qatar on Wednesday and called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. The meeting followed a failed attempt to bring Congo’s government and M23 leaders together for ceasefire negotiations on Tuesday, with the rebels pulling out after the European Union announced sanctions on rebel leaders.
The rebels entered the town of Walikale late on Wednesday, according to residents and civil society leaders, and rebels said in a statement late Thursday that they had “liberated” the town.
Taking Walikale gives the rebels control of a road linking four provinces in eastern Congo — North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Maniema — and effectively cutting off Congolese army positions.
“The rebels have been seen near the monument and at the Bakusu group office,” Prince Kihangi, a former provincial deputy elected for the Walikale territory said , referring to locations in the town center. He did not elaborate on the sourcing.
Heavy artillery fire could be heard throughout the day but ceased in the evening, giving way to sporadic gunfire, Fiston Misona, a civil society activist in Walikale, told the AP over the phone.
“Our Congolese army is no longer fighting,” he said. “It’s as if we were being sacrificed.”
In a statement late Thursday, an umbrella group of insurgents including the M23 rebels said they were committed to a ceasefire but that they entered Walikale to protect the population against what they alleged were attacks by the Congo army.
The statement accused Congolese armed forces of continuing “indiscriminately” bombing “heavily populated areas,” and said they had “no choice but to rescue our compatriots.”
“We confirm that the town of Walikale, the capital of the Walikale territory, has been liberated by our forces in order to protect the population and their property,” Congo River Alliance said in a statement.
The group said it would uphold a ceasefire, but that “in the event of provocation or attacks against civilians, our forces will respond professionally” in accordance with international law.
There was no immediate comment from the Congolese government.
The Walikale area is home to the largest tin deposits in Congo and to several significant gold mines. The Bisie tin mine, around 60 kilometers (35 miles) northwest of the town, accounts for the majority of tin exports from North Kivu province. Last week, its operator Alphamin Resources said it was temporarily halting mining operations due to the rebels’ advance.
Speaking on Fox News earlier this week, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said he was open to a deal on critical minerals with the United States, in exchange for the Americans providing security.
“I think that the U.S. is able to use either pressure or sanctions to make sure that armed groups who are in … (Congo) can be kept at bay,” he said.
M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, in a conflict that has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been displaced.
The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and at times have vowed to march as far as Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to the east.
The U.N. Human Rights Council last month launched a commission to investigate atrocities, including allegations of rape and killing akin to “summary executions” by both sides.
Doctors Without Borders said its base in Walikale “was caught in the crossfire, with bullets hitting some of our facilities and vehicles” on Wednesday.
Two huge explosions also occurred near the town’s general hospital, where medical staff continue to treat around 60 patients. The aid group said it was worried about a “potential influx of wounded in the coming hours and days.”
“In recent days, the town of Walikale had already practically emptied of its population in panic,” said the group, also known as MSF after its name in French. “The insecurity in the region in recent weeks has created a climate of fear for the civilian population.”
