Attachments
This report presents the results of assessments carried out in areas of displacement and return, between October 10 and November 30, 2024, linked to the M23 crisis.
The province of North Kivu faces a persistent conflict characterized by the presence of various armed actors such as the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23/AFC) group, the Congolese Armed Forces (Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo - FARDC in French) and their allies, and the regional forces of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The persistence of this conflict, the expansion of the M23 group’s zone of influence and the activity of other armed groups in and around the city of Goma (capital of North Kivu province) have increased both security and humanitarian challenges. The joint efforts of regional and international players - as part of the ongoing Luanda process - culminated in the signing by the foreign ministers of the DRC and Rwanda, on November 25 2024 of a document framing operations against the FDLR and specifying disengagement modalities, aiming to ease tensions and provide a basis for durable peace.
Despite these efforts, the period from October 10 to November 30 2024 was marked by an upsurge in violence. Clashes between the M23 armed group and other armed groups in M23-controlled areas were a major source of persistent insecurity in the Rutshuru and Lubero territories. Meanwhile, in Masisi and Walikale territories, the conflict has been mainly characterized by repeated clashes between the M23 and the FARDC and its allies.
These clashes led to new displacements, secondary displacements and the displacement of IDPs who had returned home. Protracted displacement and limited access to humanitarian aid continue to exacerbate the complexity of the crisis and the percarious situation of both displaced and returnee populations. Goma and surrounding areas of North and South Kivu provinces host large numbers of displaced people and lack the resources to provide them with sufficient support.
Since the beginning of the crisis, IOM through the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) continues to conduct a series of rapid assessments, including emergency monitoring (EET/ERM), crisis analysis and registration with priority to address immediate information needs and with a view to understanding displacement dynamics.