DR Congo: M23 Rebels Recapture Shoa Amid Stalled Peace Talks
Edited By: Tendai Zola
The M23 rebels took control of the town of Shoa in North Kivu province on Sunday after clashes with pro-government forces, according to local residents. Shoa, located in Masisi territory, had briefly been under the control of the Congolese army and allied Wazalendo militia on Saturday before the rebels retaliated.
“We are now under the authority of the M23 rebels, who attacked early Sunday and pushed out the Wazalendo who were here since Saturday,” resident Steven Bwema told Anadolu. The area was calm on Sunday after violent exchanges of fire the previous day.
Masisi has been a hotspot for over three months, with rebels and pro-government fighters vying for control. The territory is rich in gold, cobalt, and tantalum.
The DR Congo and a coalition of rebel groups, including M23, signed a ceasefire agreement in July in Doha, Qatar, known as the Declaration of Principles. Despite ongoing political negotiations, fighting has intensified.
Kinshasa, the UN, and Western governments accuse neighboring Rwanda of supporting M23, which Kigali denies. Last week, the Twigwaneho rebels, allied with M23, clashed with Wazalendo militias backed by the army in the villages of Mi’enge, Rukezi, and Minembwe.
The Congolese army spokesman, General Sylvain Ekenge, condemned a wave of attacks by M23/AFC fighters against army positions in North and South Kivu on Saturday, calling them a “blatant violation of the Washington peace agreements and the Doha Declaration of Principles,” which were supposed to bring stability to eastern DR Congo.
