Lubero (DRC) : the strategic city of Alimbongo falls into the hands of the M23

The M23 rebel movement took control of the city of Alimbongo, strategically located in the territory of Lubero, in the province of North Kivu (eastern DRC), on Tuesday. The city is located between the chiefdoms of Batangi and Bamate.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The capturing of Alimbongo was marked by violent fighting between the M23 and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and fighters from local militias maintained by Congolese authorities known as the Wazalendo. According to local witnesses, the FARDC and their allies failed to hold their positions, forcing them to withdraw in the face of the rebel advance.

“There was heavy fighting, but the FARDC and Wazalendo fighters fled, abandoning all their positions,” residents told SOS Médias Burundi.

A highly strategic city

According to local civil society leaders, Alimbongo occupies a key position in the region. “This city is located on the national road number 2 (RN2), on a mountainous terrain between the Bamate and Batangi chiefdoms. It also hosts the region’s general hospital,” explained a local civil society leader.

Alimbongo’s proximity to the commercial cities of Butembo and Lubero-centre makes it a crucial supply center for many villages in the region and for the city of Butembo itself.

A heavy human toll

The clashes left a tragic toll in their wake. “We saw bodies lying on the ground, but it was impossible to count the dead and wounded in the chaos,” residents reported. Some of the wounded were evacuated to the regional hospital in Butembo, while others are receiving treatment at the Alimbongo referral hospital.

Call for trust in the army

The district administrator of Lubero confirmed the fall of Alimbongo and called on the population to maintain confidence in the regular army. “We are working for a rapid recapturing of the city by the FARDC,” he said. However, FARDC military officials have refrained from commenting on the situation.

A mass exodus

The capture of Alimbongo has caused a mass exodus of the population. Many residents have fled to escape the violence, leaving the city partially deserted. The fall of Alimbongo is a new setback for the FARDC in the face of the M23 in a region plagued by chronic instability.

The M23 is a former Tutsi rebellion that took up arms again at the end of 2021, accusing Congolese authorities of not having respected their commitments on the reintegration of its fighters.

Congolese authorities remain convinced that it benefits from support from Rwanda, which the Rwandan government continues to dismiss out of hand.

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Congolese army soldiers deployed in North Kivu (SOS Médias Burundi)