Fighting erupted on Sunday, October 1, in eastern DR Congo's North Kivu province pitting the country's armed forces (FARDC) and the M23 rebel group.
In statements, the two parties which held a fragile ceasefire since November 2022, accused each other of starting the fire exchange on Sunday afternoon in Kilolirwe and other areas in Masisi territory in spite of calls by regional leaders to end the conflict peacefully.
The spokesperson of North Kivu Governor's office, Lt Gen Guillaume Ndjike, accused the rebels of seeking to reoccupy positions they earlier vacated as part of the ceasefire. But M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said that with the attack, the Congolese government"initiated its warmongering plan" declared by President Felix Tshisekedi in his speech at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September in which he ruled out any possibility of peace talks with the rebels.
Congolese officials earlier warned of a renewed offensive against the rebels. Reports say the Congolese army acquired new military equipment in preparation for the offensive, as renewed mobilisation continues in North Kivu.The group, which denounced the persecution of Congolese Tutsi communities at the hands of genocidal militias like the FDLR, accused the Kinshasa of ignoring previous peace agreements.
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