The Rwanda- and Uganda-backed M23 militia defied calls for a ceasefire from Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, instead capturing Walikale, a key mining hub in North Kivu province, on 19 March, just a day after peace talks in Doha, Qatar.
Walikale, rich in tin and large gold mines, is home to about 15,000 residents and is approximately 125 kilometres northwest of Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC.
Since re-emerging in 2021, M23’s capture of Walikale marks its western-most advance into DRC. Reports indicate that M23 now controls a road that links four provinces in the eastern part of the country, effectively isolating the army’s positions and bringing the group within 444 kilometres of Kisangani, DRC’s fourth-largest city.
On 27 January, M23 took control of Goma. Then, on 16 February, it captured Bukavu, the country’s second-largest city. On 11 March, the group seized Nyabiondo city, located 110 kilometres northwest of Goma, after several days of fierce fighting. According to the Congolese government, around 8,500 Congolese had been k*lled between January and the end of February. The United Nations reports that more than 450,000 civilians are without shelter, food, or water, while 700,000 have fled their homes.
Angola attempted to broker direct negotiations between DRC and M23 on Tuesday. However, M23 withdrew from the talks on Monday, citing the European Union for imposing sanctions against some of its leaders.
Sources
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159541