Deadly Clashes Between FARDC and M23 in Masisi
At least four civilians were killed in a bomb explosion on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, in the town of Sake, located approximately 26 kilometers west of Goma, North Kivu. The bomb originated from the combat lines on hills overlooking Sake, where fierce clashes have been ongoing since early morning between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) supported by local militias and the M23 rebels backed by the Rwandan army. Two other individuals were wounded by shrapnel.
Witnesses reported that “A bomb fell on a house in Birere 2. It has claimed four lives and left four others injured. The bomb was dropped by M23 rebels who are engaging in combat with FARDC and VDP in the hills near Vunano and Kiuli, in the Kimoka region,” as stated by a member of the Sake civil society.
Local Authorities Confirm Tragic Incident
Local authorities confirmed the tragic incident and expressed concern over the timing of these new clashes, as many displaced individuals who had fled over a year ago had recently returned to the town. The Chief of the Kamuronza group, Mwami Primo Bauma, stated, “There was a bomb from the M23 that landed near CBCA Birere, resulting in four deaths and four injuries. Some people had returned because they could not bear life in camps. Since there was a lull in violence, they decided to come back. Now, among these returnees, there are fatalities.”
Sake woke up to a sense of fear and uncertainty on Tuesday. The town is home to thousands of displaced individuals who had fled the conflict between the army and M23 rebels since 2023 in various villages of the Masisi region.
Continued Violence in the Masisi Region
This incident follows a series of recent bomb attacks by M23 elements in Bweremana town, Mupfuni Shanga group, also in the Masisi region, which resulted in at least three deaths and several injuries. The civil society has condemned these acts as serious violations of international humanitarian law by the M23.
These new explosions are reminiscent of the May 3, 2024 incident at a displaced persons camp on the outskirts of Goma, which claimed the lives of around thirty individuals.
International Pressure Mounts
The resurgence of hostilities in Masisi comes at a time when the European Union (EU) and the USA have strongly condemned the recent occupation of Masisi town and surrounding areas by M23 rebels, in violation of the ceasefire. They have called for an immediate withdrawal of M23 forces and urged Rwanda to cease all cooperation with the armed group, while demanding the withdrawal of its military troops from Congolese territory.
As international pressure intensifies, the situation in the Masisi region remains precarious, with innocent civilians caught in the crossfire of escalating violence.
Jonathan Kombi, reporting from Goma