M23 Rebels Seize Kalembe: The Struggle for Congo's Riches

The M23 rebel group has captured the town of Kalembe in eastern Congo, intensifying its insurgency. Accusations of Rwanda's support continue as the group reportedly seeks control over local gold mines. This conflict exacerbates the humanitarian crisis affecting millions in the region.

The M23 rebel group has seized control of Kalembe, a town in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, intensifying its influence in the tumultuous region, as confirmed by both an official and a former lawmaker.

M23, led predominantly by Tutsis, has been engaged in an armed uprising in the violence-ridden eastern area of the central African nation since 2022. The Democratic Republic of Congo, alongside the United Nations, accuses neighboring Rwanda of providing military support to the group, an accusation Rwanda continues to deny, asserting that measures taken were solely defensive.

As reported by Kabaki Alimasi, an official from Walikale territory where Kalembe sits, the rebels had been positioned merely 10 kilometers away from Kalembe for close to eight months before they overtook the town from Congolese armed forces and the Wazalendo alliance, groups aligned with the government, on Sunday. While the rebels' actions did not directly target civilians, fear pushed many residents to flee to Pinga in the aftermath of the attack.

Juvenal Munobo, a former lawmaker and resident of Walikale, confirmed the town's takeover by M23, adding that the group has shown interest in the area's valuable gold mines. The majority of Congo's mineral wealth is concentrated in its eastern provinces, and according to a United Nations report in September, M23 has been profiting significantly from smuggling minerals from occupied territories.

This conflict has worsened the already dire humanitarian situation in North Kivu province, where about 2.6 million people have been displaced as of late September, the U.N. aid agency OCHA reported.

(With inputs from agencies.)