M23 Rebels Regain Control of Key Territory in South Kivu After Clashes With Wazalendo Militias.

Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo — Rebel forces of the March 23 Movement (M23) and allied militias have regained control of the Luhago groupement in South Kivu province, following renewed fighting with community-based Wazalendo fighters on Saturday, local sources said.

The clashes, which erupted on Saturday in the Nindja chiefdom, saw the M23 and its allies recapture several strategic localities — including Bwegerera, Irega, and Katsoba — consolidating their hold over the entire Luhago area. The territory, located in Kabare district, had briefly fallen under Wazalendo control last week before the latest rebel counteroffensive.

Residents reported intense exchanges of gunfire and mortar fire during the morning hours, forcing hundreds of civilians to flee toward Mashango, where Wazalendo fighters are said to have regrouped.

“M23 has reestablished its positions after pushing back the Wazalendo. Government troops were not visibly involved in the clashes,” said a local civil society leader, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Expanding Rebel Presence

The development marks the latest in a string of M23 advances across eastern Congo, underscoring the group’s widening footprint beyond its traditional strongholds in North Kivu into neighboring South Kivu.

The incursion into Luhago signals the rebels’ intent to open a new operational front and stretch Congolese defense lines already battling to contain rebel gains around Sake and Kibumba near Goma.

The M23, which Kinshasa and the United Nations accuse of being backed by Rwanda, has repeatedly denied such links, framing its campaign as a response to what it calls “Kinshasa’s governance failures” and attacks on Congolese Tutsi communities.

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Rwanda, in turn, accuses Congo of collaborating with the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu militia implicated in the 1994 genocide.

Rising Humanitarian Toll

The renewed violence comes amid a worsening humanitarian situation in eastern Congo, where more than 7 million people are internally displaced, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The latest fighting has disrupted aid delivery routes in South Kivu and raised fears of fresh displacements from the mineral-rich but volatile region.

Diplomatic Repercussions

The escalation follows French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement this week that Goma International Airport will soon reopen for humanitarian flights — a move welcomed by Kinshasa but condemned by the M23 as “ill-timed and politically motivated.”

The rebel group said humanitarian operations cannot proceed while government forces continue “indiscriminate bombings” in rebel-held zones.

Regional observers warn that the rebel resurgence in Luhago could undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts under the Doha and Luanda peace frameworks, which aim to de-escalate tensions between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.