The March 23 Movement/Congo River Alliance (M23/AFC) rebels and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) are trading accusations over fresh violations of the recently signed ceasefire. On November 8, 2025, the M23/AFC rebels and the DR Congo government signed a framework agreement aimed at organizing the continuation of negotiations toward a comprehensive peace agreement. The agreement was signed in Doha, Qatar, where peace talks between the two parties are ongoing.
The framework provides for the development of specific protocols, several of which are expected to be negotiated within two weeks of signing. However, over the weekend, FARDC spokesperson Major General Sylvain Ekenge released a statement accusing the AFC/M23 rebels of continuously attacking FARDC positions, despite agreements concluded in Doha and Washington. He said the rebels’ actions endanger civilian populations in North and South Kivu provinces.
Ekenge also urged American and Qatari mediators to intervene, warning that continued provocations may force FARDC to respond. “On behalf of the FARDC, I denounce the numerous attacks that the AFC/M23 rebels continue to perpetrate despite the Washington and Doha agreements. The FARDC informs national and international public opinion that, every day, the AFC/M23 coalition continues to attack our positions despite calls for a cessation of hostilities,” says Ekenge.
On Monday, M23/AFC political spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka issued a counter-statement accusing FARDC soldiers and their coalition allies of launching attacks. Kanyuka called on Congolese citizens to bear witness to what he described as ongoing massacres targeting civilians, as well as widespread assaults across all front lines by coalition forces aligned with the Kinshasa regime—including the FARDC, FDLR, Maï-Maï Wazalendo, mercenaries, and the Burundi National Defense Force—using fighter jets, combat drones, and heavy artillery. He said these acts amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“The Kinshasa regime continues to violate the ceasefire it nonetheless signed in Doha. It persists in its bellicose drift, insolently rejecting the urgent appeals from regional leaders and international partners in favor of a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The AFC/M23 calls upon the Congolese people to bear witness to the ongoing massacres targeting civilian populations, as well as to the widespread attacks launched across all front lines by the coalition forces of the Kinshasa regime, including the FARDC, FDLR, Maï-Maï Wazalendo, mercenaries, and the Burundi National Defense Force, which are deploying fighter jets, combat drones, and heavy artillery. These systematic killings, which deliberately target innocent civilians, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Such barbarity can no longer be tolerated,” says Kanyuka in a statement.
Reliable sources on the ground indicate that last week, M23/AFC rebels occupied Maimingi in Shabunda territory, South Kivu province, after a surprise attack against FARDC. The army initially retaliated before retreating toward Kimbili. On Sunday, M23 rebels captured the locality of Buhimba in the Waloa Yungu groupement of Walikale territory, North Kivu province. The village of Mahanga in Masisi territory, also in North Kivu, fell to the rebels after fierce fighting.
M23 rebels currently control the majority of areas in North and South Kivu provinces, including Goma and Bukavu cities, Goma International Airport, and Kavumu Airport. Since the resurgence of the M23 insurgency in 2022, led by Bertrand Bisimwa and Emmanuel Sultan Makenga, the DRC government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the group—a claim both Rwanda and M23 deny. The rebels maintain that their fight is against corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination within DR Congo’s leadership.
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