On March 9, 2025, M23 advanced significantly in North Kivu, capturing a key town and gaining militia defections. FARDC faced intense clashes with M23 forces near Minembwe, and M23 seized Nyabiondo, threatening FARDC’s control. Additionally, the U.S. expressed interest in a minerals partnership with the DRC, while the Congolese government offered bounties on M23 officials to enhance anti-M23 efforts.
The Congo War Security Review provides a daily overview of military actions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), particularly focusing on the ongoing conflict between the M23 rebel group and the pro-Congolese government forces. Key updates include M23’s substantial advances toward the Walikale district in western North Kivu following the capture of a pivotal town. Several pro-Congolese militias have defected to M23, significantly undermining the Congolese army’s (FARDC) strategic efforts.
In the northern region, multiple pro-Congolese militia factions have officially allied with M23 under the Alliance Fleuve Congo on March 9. Reportedly, these defectors are mobilizing towards Kasugho village, intensifying M23’s offensive maneuvering against FARDC’s positions. Notably, the FPP-AP militia has been described as one of the most organized and influential armed groups in North Kivu, and their defection poses a critical threat to the FARDC.
Clashes erupted in the southern axis, where FARDC and the Wazalendo militia engaged with M23-aligned rebels and Rwandan-supported forces near Minembwe. Air strikes on M23 positions have reportedly been intensified, in response to prior rebel captures of multiple locales, including Minembwe town.
The northwest axis witnessed M23’s successful seizure of Nyabiondo, a strategic crossroad facilitating access to mineral-rich areas, following a counteroffensive against the FARDC in Masisi district. This victory restricts movement for FARDC forces, setting the stage for further M23 advances.
In terms of significant political developments, the United States has expressed openness to a minerals partnership with the DRC. This comes in light of President Tshisekedi’s outreach to the U.S. and the European Union regarding collaboration in the exploitation of the DRC’s mineral resources. Concurrently, the DRC government has placed bounties on key M23 leaders to bolster efforts against the group.
The ongoing conflict in eastern DRC is marked by strategic shifts as M23 consolidates its power through the acquisition of key territory and military defections from pro-Congolese factions. The potential for a minerals partnership with the U.S. could influence the geopolitical landscape, as military engagements continue to heighten in Minembwe and Masisi. The implications of these developments underscore the complexity and volatility of the current situation in the DRC.
Original Source: www.criticalthreats.org
