On Sunday, rebels from the M23 movement captured the strategic border town of Ishasha in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) without resistance, according to local sources.
This significant event occurred on the same day a cease-fire agreement between DRC and neighboring Rwanda was supposed to come into effect.
Ishasha, located on the border with Uganda, became the latest town to fall to the predominantly ethnic Tutsi M23 movement, which has been accused of receiving support from Rwanda.
The M23 rebels have been expanding their territory since launching a renewed offensive at the end of 2021, seizing large swathes of land in North Kivu province.
“Ishasha has passed without resistance under M23 control,” reported Romy Sawasawa, a civil society leader, speaking to AFP. The swift capture of the town was marked by the flight of Congolese police officers, who crossed into Uganda to escape the advancing rebels.
Gad Rugaju, the deputy security official for Uganda’s district bordering DRC, confirmed the arrival of about 90 Congolese police officers. “The officers will undergo an evaluation, and they will probably be expelled after consultations,” Rugaju stated. This exodus highlights the precarious security situation in the region and the pressure on local law enforcement facing well-equipped rebel forces.
Following their takeover, M23 held a meeting with the townspeople of Ishasha, urging them to continue their daily activities without fear. The rebels called on pro-government militias to join their cause and encouraged the police to return to their posts, as relayed by local resident Yasini Mambo.
Additionally, M23 directed the ethnic Hutu Rwandan rebels of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) to “go back home to Rwanda,” signaling their intent to consolidate control and reduce opposition within their captured territories.
Ishasha’s strategic location on the southern shores of Lake Edward, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) northeast of Goma, North Kivu’s provincial capital, makes its capture particularly noteworthy.
The fall of Ishasha came just a day after the M23 rebels similarly took control of the nearby larger town of Nyamilima without resistance, underscoring the rapid and unchallenged advances of the rebel group.
A security source from the Congolese government, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the capture of Ishasha to AFP, but downplayed the event. “It’s a non-event. Nobody was there during the offensive,” the source said, adding a skeptical view of the cease-fire agreement by stating, “the cease-fire stories are a farce.”
For over three decades, the mineral-rich eastern DRC has been mired in conflict, plagued by the presence of numerous local and foreign armed groups. This enduring violence traces back to the regional wars of the 1990s, with various factions vying for control over the region’s abundant natural resources.
The M23 movement, named after a failed peace agreement signed on March 23, 2009, emerged from the remnants of a former Tutsi rebel group integrated into the Congolese army. The group has periodically resurfaced, often triggering significant military confrontations and displacements of civilian populations.
The recent captures by M23 pose a substantial challenge to the fragile peace efforts in the region. The international community has repeatedly called for restraint and dialogue, urging the involved parties to honor cease-fire agreements and engage in meaningful negotiations.
However, the continued advances by M23 and the apparent collapse of local resistance suggest that achieving lasting peace in eastern DRC remains a complex and elusive goal.
As the situation develops, the humanitarian impact on the local population, the stability of the region, and the broader geopolitical implications will remain closely watched by regional and international stakeholders.
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