M23 rebels capture two villages in DRC’s North Kivu despite Qatar peace pact
M23's advancement likewise triggered mass displacements, with residents reportedly fleeing before the attack. Two groups of displaced people have been reported; one fleeing to Waloa Yungu in Walikale territory and the other into nearby forests.
M23 rebels have seized control of two villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) North Kivu province, days after a ceasefire agreement was signed in Qatar.
Reports indicate that the villages of Ngululu and Ndete, located in the Nyamaboko groupement of Masisi territory, fell to the rebels on Monday after heavy fighting with the local self-defence group Wazalendo.
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The Wazalendo forces reportedly fled the area after being overwhelmed by the M23 onslaught.
"The rebel offensive targeted Wazalendo positions in both villages. Faced with the intensity of the fighting, the Wazalendo fled, leaving the villages under M23 control," resident Kilengo Matheu, told Anadolu Agency.
M23's advancement likewise triggered mass displacements, with residents reportedly fleeing before the attack. Two groups of displaced people have been reported; one fleeing to Waloa Yungu in Walikale territory and the other into nearby forests.
The development comes only two weeks after M23 and the DRC government pledged to sign a peace agreement by August 18, following a declaration of principles signed during a ceremony in Doha on July 19.
The deal, mediated by Qatar after months of behind-the-scenes negotiations that began in April, was seen as a step forward in ending the long-running conflict in eastern Congo. Representatives from both sides agreed to the new timeline while acknowledging that key details still needed to be resolved.
The United States, which has separately hosted talks between the Congolese and Rwandan governments, has been pushing for a lasting peace deal in the DRC.
Last month, the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the DRC signed a separate peace agreement in Washington and met with US President Donald Trump, who later invited Presidents Félix Tshisekedi of Congo and Paul Kagame of Rwanda to the White House to finalise a broader package that could include both peace and economic deals.
Washington has similarly welcomed the Doha declaration, with US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce calling it "a meaningful step toward advancing lasting peace and stability in the Great Lakes region."
However, M23's latest incursion risks undermining the fragile progress made in Doha.
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