The M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo has warned that it may march toward the capital, Kinshasa, if the government continues what the group calls “provocations” and “sabotage” of ongoing peace efforts.
During a press conference held in Goma, the coordinator of the Alliance du Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23), Corneille Nangaa, accused government forces of carrying out deadly airstrikes against civilians in North Kivu Province, including in the towns of Mpeti and Buhaya. He said the attacks violated the current ceasefire and risked plunging the country back into full-scale conflict.
“We will now respond to any attack, blow for blow,” M23 president Bertrand Bisimwa declared, warning that the group would not remain passive if government operations continued in rebel-held areas.
The Congolese government has not yet issued an official response to the latest threats. However, military officials recently stated that national forces were working to prevent further rebel expansion around key towns in North Kivu, where fighting has displaced thousands of civilians.
The warning marks a serious escalation in the long-running conflict between M23 and the Congolese army. The group, which has previously captured territory in eastern DRC, said its latest position was a response to what it described as deliberate government efforts to undermine mediation under the ongoing Luanda and Washington peace processes.
Regional observers fear that renewed fighting could destabilize eastern Congo and threaten neighboring countries, especially if hostilities spread westward. Humanitarian agencies have also raised concerns about the safety of civilians trapped in active combat zones.
The M23 rebellion, initially formed more than a decade ago, remains one of the most volatile challenges to peace in the Great Lakes region. Its new threat to march on Kinshasa underscores how fragile the situation has become despite multiple ceasefire agreements and regional interventions aimed at ending the violence.