The M23 demands the exit of all the foreign forces of RDC and begins to close the border with Rwanda

Nine allied South African military from the Congolese armed forces have died in fighting with the militia in the middle of an ultimatum in rubber

The rebel militias of March 23 (M23) have issued a statement on Sunday in which they demand the departure of all foreign military forces deployed in the democratic republic of the Congo and have begun to restrict the passage on the border with Rwanda in the middle of the middle of the Rubber tax, the capital of Kivu Norte.

The M23 “urges all foreign armed forces present in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particular ) From Ajemira, to stop killing our population immediately and leave Congolese soil, “the group has published in a statement.

Various sources have denounced the presence of burundic forces with Congolese uniform combining the M23, related to Rwanda, while the Austral Africa Development Community has sent a contigent of more than 3,000 South African, Tanzanos and Malauíes military to the area.

The M23 also recalls the 48 -hour ultimatum given to the Congolese armed forces (Fardc) to depose the weapons in rubber, a city now surrounded by the rebel militias with only the border with Rwanda and the Kivu Lake behind it. In fact, the M23 has declared the rubber airspace closed because “the forces of the Kinshasa regime coalition use the rubber airport to load bombs that kill civilians.”

“The rubber people, who have suffered so much, must be released. It now acts to avoid climbing,” said the rebel group in its statement, released by its official spokesman, Lawrence Kanyuka.

Meanwhile, various sources have reported restrictions at the intersection of the border between rubber and Rwandan territory in one more step to close the fence on the strategic town. “Crossing the border is increasingly complicated. Some Congolese have just been prohibited from passing to Rwanda,” said the journalist and co -founder of the Congo Check Rodriguez Malabar.

From the Congoleña authorities, however, there are no indications that it will send violence. The vice governor of Kivu Norte, Romuald Ekuka, has warned M23 that “if he dares to enter, rubber will be his cemetery.”

Nine dead South African military

At least nine soldiers of the Armed Forces of South Africa, deployed in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have died “after two days of intense fighting” with the M23.

“In the course of this brave resistance against the M23 rebels, the National Defense Force of South Africa (Sandf, in English) lost nine members on Friday, January 24, 2025,” said the South African army in a statement.

Seven of them were part of the South African contingent deployed in eastern RDC in December 2023 as part of the peace mission of the Austral Africa Development Community (Samidrc), which supports the RDC armed forces against the progress of the rebel group M23. The other two dead South African soldiers were part of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Monusco).

The SADC has “unequivocally condemned” this “aggression” of the M23. “The territorial expansion of the M23 only aggravates the already difficult humanitarian and security situation in eastern RDC,” he denounced. He has also confirmed that the M23 attacked the SADC mission in rubber and that it “responded and repelled the armed group.”

The African organization thus asks the parties “that comply with its obligations contemplated in the high -fire agreement” and “an unconditional withdrawal of all occupied positions.” It also reiterates its “unwavering support for territorial integrity, peace, security and development” of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Macron talks to RDC and Rwanda leaders

At the diplomatic level, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, spoke on Saturday with the presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi and with the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, whom he would have requested the withdrawal of rubber from his forces and those of the M23.

Macron expressed “his deep concern for the situation in Kivu Norte, in particular around rubber, and for the violations of the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” according to an Elysee statement.

Macron “finally called the M23 offensive and the Rwandan forces, as well as the withdrawal of the latter from the Congolese territory.”

The M23 is a rebel group composed mainly of Congolese Tutsis that launched a new offensive in the late 2022, after the conflict between 2012 and 2013, which resulted in a peace agreement. The Congolese government accuses Rwanda of financing this armed organization while Kigali denounces that Congolese tutsis are being the subject of a persecution by the RDC government with the support of armed groups such as democratic forces for the liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) – -Funda by Hutus fled from the genocide in 1994 in Ruandés territory- and other local militias.

The advance of the last weeks of the M23 in the east of the country has aggravated a situation that had been catastrophic for years in a province under an unusable state of exception declared by the Congolese government in 2021 and threatens rubber after the offensive launched the week pass.

Civil Society of rubber, such as the coordination of the living forces, have asked the city of the city not to dominate for panic and remain in their homes.

However, the United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Coordination Office (OCHA) has denounced that there are more than 178,000 new displaced people in the regions of Kivu Norte and Kivu Sur as a result of the last days of rebels offensives for a total of 400,000 Since the beginning of the year.