Rebels in the Northern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo are reported to be advancing rapidly again, this time moving on to seize the strategic territory of Masisi, an important fort for the government’s resistance forces.
This is according to reports from reliable sources in the North Kivu province of DR Congo.
The March 23 Movement, known simply as M23 and sometimes referred to as the Congolese Revolutionary Army is the rebel group which has so far grabbed by force the town of Katale in the Masisi section of the North Kivu Province.
The M23 revolutionists seized the region after intense fighting with the regular troops of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), the battle which started last Friday afternoon all the way to Saturday Morning of January 4, 2025.
Some of the video clips and photo footage making rounds on various social media platforms show the civilian population fleeing the city of Katale in one direction following the entry of Corneille Nangaa’s troops into the region.
Corneille Nangaa, happens to be the leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), an apex rebel umbrella which includes the March 23 group, along with 25 others.
The kingpin and primarily M23 other renegades, were handed death sentences by the Kinshasa military court in April 2024 while still at large.
Apparently the Katale Township was the last obstacle erected by the Democratic of Congo Forces (FARDC) before the Masisi Centre located a few kilometers away.
In the previous three days, the March 23 rebel forces fighting their way towards the barricade, also seized Lukopfu and Kaniro, villages located within the Masisi territory causing many of their residents to flee.