The M23 armed group and allied Rwandan forces have intensified their offensive in eastern DRC, capturing a mining town and threatening the provincial capital, Bukavu. This escalation comes just days before a summit between Rwandan and Congolese leaders. The UN reported a staggering increase in casualties from the recent battles around Goma, now totaling at least 2,900 deaths, highlighting the severity of the conflict. The Congolese government criticized the M23's ceasefire declaration as a tactic rather than a genuine attempt at peace, illustrating the ongoing cycle of violence in the mineral-rich region afflicted by decades of strife.
"In more than three years of fighting between the Rwanda-backed group and the Congolese army, half a dozen ceasefires and truces have been declared, before being unceremoniously broken."
"The M23 had said in declaring the ceasefire that it had no intention of taking control of Bukavu or other localities. This is proof that the unilateral ceasefire that has been declared was, as usual, a ploy."
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