A report by United Nations experts released on December 27, 2024, revealed that DRC forces had established a significant base in Lumbishi, located in Kalehe Territory.
Since May 2024, the Congolese army, in collaboration with armed groups like the FDLR, launched attacks in Lumbishi, targeting M23 positions in Masisi Territory, such as Ndumba. Lt. Col. Ndjike told the media that the forces stationed in North and South Kivu launched "Operation Caterpillar" to prevent M23 fighters from expanding their positions in the two provinces.
Following intense clashes on January 18, 2025, M23 fighters captured Lumbishi and advanced to Numbi and Shanje on the morning of January 19, as reported by Kalehe Territory Administrator Thomas Bakenga.
'After taking Lumbishi, they proceeded to Numbi and Shanje, both in Kalehe Territory,' Bakenga said.
As M23 fighters took control of Lumbishi, residents welcomed them with joy, expressing relief at their arrival. They also voiced complaints about crimes committed by the Congolese government forces, the FDLR, and allied militias.
M23 informed Lumbishi residents that they had driven out the FDLR, predominantly composed of remnants of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, putting an end to the community's suffering caused by the terrorist group.
This included dismantling illegal roadblocks, ending unlawful taxation, stopping sexual violence, preventing child recruitment into armed forces, and addressing other grievances that had plagued the area.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/politics-48/article/m23-expands-control-across-south-kivu
