GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have intensified their offensive and arrest operations in eastern Congo’s North Kivu province in recent weeks, targeting pro-government militias and reshaping population dynamics in the areas they control, according to local and international reports.
The rebel group is fighting to retake territory and secure key supply routes in the volatile Rutshuru and Masisi districts, where pro-government Wazalendo fighters and remnants of the Rwandan Hutu-led FDLR militia continue to resist.
“M23 is trying to clear parts of the Rutshuru district of opposition fighters and prevent attacks on its positions and logistics,” analysts from the Critical Threats Project said.
The offensives, which began in mid-May, have focused on the Bwito chiefdom in western Rutshuru, where M23 previously lost ground. The group now seeks to reestablish control over key roads such as the RP1030, which links its operations in Masisi and Rutshuru.
Targeting Hutu factions
M23 also appears to be targeting the Collectif des Mouvements pour le Changement–Forces de Défense du Peuple (CMC-FDP), an ethnic Hutu faction linked to the Wazalendo alliance and the FDLR. The group launched a failed attack on M23-held Goma in April, using heavy weaponry in an attempt to retake the city.
“M23 claimed that FDLR forces supported that attack,” researchers said, citing both Congolese media and social media statements from the group.
The intensified campaign includes clearing operations in urban areas such as Goma and Sake. From May 10 to May 13, M23 fighters reportedly conducted house-to-house searches for “suspicious” or armed males of fighting age. M23 President Bertrand Bisimwa defended the raids, saying they aimed to “recover weapons distributed to the civilian population by the DRC government.”
M23 claims it seized over 1,700 weapons and arrested nearly 300 people during the operations, including Congolese soldiers, Wazalendo fighters, suspected FDLR members, and civilians.
The DRC government, however, condemned the arrests, accusing M23 of abducting 4,000 civilians “wrongly identified” as militants or government sympathizers.
Accusations of torture and forced repatriations
Amnesty International has accused M23 of arbitrary detention and torture, reporting that suspected pro-government fighters are being held in “inhumane” and overcrowded conditions in Goma.
M23’s security campaign also includes the repatriation of Rwandan refugees. Since May 17, the group has forcibly returned at least 1,800 people from Goma and Sake to Rwanda, with reports suggesting many of them were family members of FDLR fighters.
“The DRC government denounced the move as a ‘targeted manhunt’ and an attempt to reshape the region’s ethnic makeup,” according to government officials.
M23 and Rwandan officials defended the repatriations on social media, asserting that they targeted FDLR-affiliated refugees living in areas considered rebel strongholds.
Fragile hold on Goma
Despite its military advances, M23 continues to face challenges governing Goma. After capturing the North Kivu provincial capital in late January, the group has struggled to control crime and maintain order. Observers report persistent insecurity, forced conscription, and efforts to integrate captured Congolese soldiers and police into M23 ranks.
“The rebel group lacks the law enforcement capacity to stabilize the city,” researchers said, adding that the violence and instability undercut M23’s claims of being a legitimate governing force.
The group continues to portray itself as an alternative to what it calls the “corrupt” and “incompetent” Congolese government. However, the humanitarian impact of its actions and the ongoing resistance in North Kivu suggest a long and volatile campaign lies ahead.
