Conflict between one of eastern Congo’s most active rebel groups and the government armed forces is intensifying in the country’s Masisi territory, which has prompted residents of the region’s largest city of Goma to flee the area. Locals say the deadly unrest has worsened in recent weeks, leaving dozens of injured and overwhelming health centers. Masisi and also Rutshuru, two territories in North Kivu province, have been gripped by conflict since late 2021 as the M23 takes on government troops. This and several other armed groups have intensified attacks on civilians and tried to seize more territory as the United Nations and regional peacekeepers have started to withdraw at the government’s request. DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, who was reelected in December, has struggled to end the violence despite promises to do so.
