M23 Rebels Seize Mining Town in Eastern DRC, Viola...

M23 Rebels Seize Mining Town in Eastern DRC, Violating Ceasefire

Zim Now Writer

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have seized control of Nyabibwe, a strategic mining town in South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, eight sources confirmed on Wednesday.

This move appears to violate a unilateral ceasefire the group had declared earlier this week.

Nyabibwe, located on Lake Kivu, is a key commercial hub producing gold, coltan, and other valuable minerals. The town sits over halfway between Goma, the North Kivu provincial capital that the rebels captured last week, and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, about 70 km (40 miles) south.

Despite M23’s claims last week that they had no intention of advancing toward Bukavu, the latest capture raises concerns about their next move.

Clashes began around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, and by 9 a.m., the rebels had taken control of the town, according to a civil society representative and other sources.

“They’re in the centre of the town at the moment,” the representative said, speaking anonymously.

Congo’s Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya accused the rebels of violating the ceasefire overnight, adding that Congolese armed forces were resisting the offensive near Nyabibwe.

Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance rebel coalition—which includes M23—confirmed the group's presence in the town, claiming, “They attacked us, and we defended ourselves.”

On Tuesday, a Congolese military court issued an international arrest warrant for Nangaa, accusing him of war crimes and treason.

The humnitarian impact of the escalating conflict is worsening. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported on Wednesday that at least 2,800 people had died in Goma following last week’s fighting.

“The human toll is staggering. We and our partners are struggling to assess the full extent of the situation,” OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke stated.

Reports of possible war crimes in the battle for Goma have prompted the International Criminal Court to monitor developments closely. Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross revealed that its medical warehouse in Goma was looted, delaying humanitarian aid efforts for months.

Congo has long accused Rwanda of supporting M23 to exploit mineral-rich territories. Rwanda, however, maintains that its actions are in self-defense and aimed at protecting ethnic Tutsis in eastern Congo.

With the crisis escalating, lawmakers in Kinshasa held a closed-door emergency session to address the situation ahead of an upcoming summit of eastern and southern African leaders in Tanzania.