Democratic Republic of the Congo - Conflict intensification and M23 advances in the North of South Kivu (DG ECHO, UN OCHA) (ECHO Daily Flash of 22 January 2025)
Fighting has escalated since some weeks between the M23/Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) and Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) with allied militias, with the former trying to get a foothold in the north of South Kivu, Eastern DRC. Rather sophisticated artillery is being used with a relatively high number of casualties, while more than 178,000 people are estimated to be newly displaced.
Significant support to the FARDC comes from the Burundi National Defence Force (FNDB) active in the conflict, which may bring the Rwandan forces in direct confrontation with the Burundian army on Congolese soil.
The town of Minova is now confirmed to be taken by the M23/RDF, where there is still a substantial number of humanitarians present. The control of the town gives the armed group access to the pensinsula overlooking not only Sake but also the western parts of Goma, while the blocking of road RN2 also gives full control over the Northern part of the Kivu Lake, which potentially opens up the way for M23/RDF to advance further south towards Kavumu and beyond.