BUKAVU, Democratic Republic of the Congo — The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group has launched at least three separate offensives in South Kivu province since mid-November, significantly escalating fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and undermining recent efforts to secure a durable cease-fire.
The attacks signal a major expansion of M23’s territorial ambitions, particularly in routes leading to the DRC’s mineral-rich interior.
Frontline Attacks Near Bukavu
The most recent fighting occurred on December 2 in two frontline areas south of Bukavu, the South Kivu provincial capital, near the RN5 highway. M23 forces attacked pro-Congolese government forces, which include the Congolese army (FARDC), allied Wazalendo fighters, and Burundian army (FDNB) troops.
One assault targeted positions in the Kaziba chiefdom in southern Walungu district. Simultaneously, the group attacked Katagota village, about 35 miles south of Bukavu, in an attempt to break through the front line. The rebel group had reportedly reinforced its ranks with more troops and heavy weaponry in the days leading up to the attacks.
Pro-Congolese forces, however, counterattacked and blocked M23’s attempt to advance further south on the RN5 toward Uvira, the region’s second-most-populated city and a vital transportation hub with access to Lake Tanganyika and Burundi’s capital, Bujumbura. The FARDC bombed M23 positions in Kamanyola and Kaziba on December 2 and 3.
Deep Advances Toward the Interior
M23 is facing weaker resistance as it advances along two other axes, pushing deeper into the DRC’s interior:
Mwenga District (RN2): M23 launched an offensive on the RN2, capturing at least six villages and taking control of Mwenga town between November 23 and early December. This 25-mile advance marks M23’s furthest penetration in the district this year. FARDC soldiers and Wazalendo fighters reportedly abandoned positions and fled south toward Kamituga, an important gold-mining town.
Strategic Control: Control of Mwenga and Kamituga would allow M23 to “tax and control the production and trade of gold” in the surrounding area, which accounted for a significant portion of South Kivu’s gold output.
Shabunda District (RP503): The rebels launched a third offensive along the RP503, advancing westward and capturing three villages since November 16. This front sets conditions for a potential push toward Kindu in Maniema province, roughly 135 miles away. Kindu is an important FARDC command center that houses “FARDC air assets and the FARDC’s 31st Rapid Intervention Brigade,” making it a key target to degrade the Congolese army’s air capabilities.
Cease-Fire Hopes Dwindle
The multiple M23 offensives directly contradict a preliminary cease-fire agreement brokered by Qatar in late July, which explicitly prohibited new attacks or attempts to conquer new territory.
While the Congolese government and M23 reaffirmed their commitments in a road map agreement on November 15, the agreed-upon cease-fire-verification mechanism has yet to become fully operational, convening only once in early November.
Meanwhile, the FARDC and Wazalendo fighters are actively trying to block M23 from opening other lines of advance in neighboring North Kivu province, increasing airstrikes near the RP529 to prevent offensives on Walikale town, a gateway to the DRC interior, and Pinga, which hosts a key airstrip and army base.
The renewed conflict comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Washington, D.C., on December 4 to ratify a U.S.-backed peace framework aimed at stabilizing the region. The military actions by M23 suggest that fighting will continue despite these high-level diplomatic efforts.
