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To remember: The United States sanctioned the Rwandan army (RDF) and called for its immediate withdrawal from eastern DRC. The M23 carried out another drone attack against the Congolese army (FARDC) air base in Kisangani, central DRC. The M23 recaptured the capital of the Katoyi sector from pro-Congolese government forces in the southern district of Masisi, North Kivu. The FARDC captured several villages around the town of Minembwe as fighting continued in the South Kivu highlands.
Kinetic activity in areas controlled by M23
The M23 clashed with armed militants in the Rutshuru district of North Kivu. Congolese media News.cd reported that an M23 unit clashed with an unidentified armed group on patrol near the town of Mweso, in Bwito chiefdom, west of Rutshuru, on February 26.(1) The M23 regularly clashes with pro-Congolese fighters from Wazalendo in the areas it controls in western Rutshuru.
Northern Axis: Lubero-Butembo-Beni-Bunia
Nothing significant to report.
Southern Axis: Bukavu-Uvira-Baraka-Kalemie
The Congolese army (FARDC) captured several villages around the town of Minembwe as fighting continued in the highlands of South Kivu. CTP previously reported that FARDC and allied forces clashed with M23-aligned Twirwaneho fighters in several villages near Minembwe, particularly Bidegu, Ilundu and Irumba, as well as in the village of Mikenge, in Mwenga district, about 24 kilometers north of Minembwe on the RP527, earlier last week.(2) Congolese pro-government media sources released a video on social media purporting to show a Rwandan army plane transporting weapons and ammunition to Minembwe around February 24.(3) Sources close to M23, Twirwaneho and M23 claimed that pro-Congolese government forces bombed and carried out “coordinated attacks” on Minembwe and surrounding villages, particularly Kalingi, using one-way attack (OWA) drones on February 28 and March 1.(4) Sources close to Twirwaneho and M23 claimed that the group recaptured Ilundu from pro-Congolese government forces on March 1.(5) The FARDC claimed on March 2 to have captured Bidegu and Kakenge – another village believed to be near Minembwe – as well as Mikenge and Bilalombili, the latter about eight kilometers south of Mikenge.(6) Congolese media Morning article from Kivu reported that Twirwaneho abandoned Mikenge before FARDC troops entered and took control of the village on March 1.(7) The FARDC claimed to have captured more than 20 enemy fighters and killed nearly a dozen Twirwaneho fighters during the fighting, including a brigade commander and a logistics officer.(8) The FARDC claimed to have also captured enemy weapons and munitions, including anti-drone “laser” weapons.(9)
North-West axis: Masisi-Walikale-Lubutu-Kisangani
The M23 carried out another drone attack against the FARDC air base in Kisangani, central DRC. The Tshopo provincial government claimed that FARDC ground air defense systems intercepted and shot down four OWA drones carrying cluster munitions near the FARDC air base at Kisangani airport on March 1.(10) Kisangani is the headquarters of the FARDC's third defense zone, and its airport is a major air and logistics hub for FARDC air assets. Acuality.cd said the attack caused negligible damage to the airport's infrastructure.(11) The CTP predicted on February 26 that the M32 could target Kisangani using OWA drones in retaliation for the death of a senior M23 military commander during a FARDC drone strike on February 24.(12) M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka officially acknowledged Ngoma's death and claimed responsibility for the attack in a March 2 statement.(13) Kanyuka said “M23 forces deployed on the outskirts” of Kisangani carried out a “targeted operation” to destroy FARDC drones used to bomb civilians and their positions in eastern DRC.(14) The M23 first targeted Kisangani in two separate attacks using OWA drones, on January 31 and February 5.(15)
The M23 recaptured the capital of the Katoyi sector, in the southern district of Masisi, North Kivu. The M23 reportedly recaptured the main town in the Katoyi sector from FARDC and Wazalendo fighters on March 1.(16) Congolese media Radio Okapi reported that the M23 then extended its control over several surrounding villages.(17) The capture of Kasenyi by the M23, on the border between Katoyi and the Osso Banyungu sector to the north, on February 25, would have allowed the group to advance towards the center of Katoyi.(18) Wazalendo fighters had captured the main town of Katoyi and many other villages when they launched an offensive in southern Masisi around 20 February.(19)
The M23 repelled an attack by Wazalendo in the Bahunde chiefdom, northeast of the town of Masisi. The M23 reportedly repelled an attack by Wazalendo in the village of Muheto, approximately 21 km northeast of the town of Masisi, on a local road, on March 1.(20) Morning article from Kivu reported on March 2 that M23 reinforcements had passed through the village of Nyakariba on their way to Muheto to secure the area.(21)
Fighting between M23 and pro-Congolese government forces also took place west of the town of Masisi. FARDC-Wazalendo fighters captured Kazinga and Kibanda, a neighboring village to the south, in the Nyamaboko group, on February 24.(22) Kazinga is approximately 21 km west of Masisi town on a local road. The CTP previously reported that the M23 carried out counterattacks and clashed with Wazalendo fighters for control of Kazinga and neighboring areas between February 25 and 27.(23) Radio Okapi reported that the FARDC carried out a drone strike against an M23 convoy on a road between Mushaki and the southeastern town of Rubaya on February 27.(24) The M23 reportedly clashed with Wazalendo fighters in Lukole, about three kilometers north of Kazinga, and in the villages of Mashaki and Ndete, located three and four kilometers east of Kazinga on a local road, respectively, on February 28.(25)
The M23 captured Wazalendo positions northwest of Masisi town, near the border with Walikale district. Wazalendo fighters from Buhimba village in Walikale reportedly attacked the M23 and captured Mahanga, about six miles south of RP529, near the border with Walikale, on February 24.(26) Buhimba's Wazalendo fighters then attacked another M23 position at Kibanda, between Mahanga and Kazinga, on February 25.(27) The CTP reported on February 27 that fighting between the two camps had allegedly taken place in Mahanga.(28) Fighting reportedly resumed in Mahanga on February 28 and the M23 reasserted its control over the village and used its position in the village to take control of Kibanda and advance about six kilometers to dislodge Wazalendo fighters and capture Buhimba on March 1.(29) The M23 also reportedly used its position at Kasopo, approximately eight kilometers northeast of Buhimba, to support the assault on Buhimba.(30)
The M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters in Nyabiondo town and on the RP529 in Walikale district. The FARDC reportedly carried out a drone attack against an M23 position in the town of Nyabiondo in Masisi on February 26.(31) The M23 then reportedly clashed with Wazalendo fighters in a village about five kilometers north of Nyabiondo, in Kinyumba, on February 27.(32) News.cd reported that new clashes between the M23 and FARDC-Wazalendo broke out in Kinyumba on February 28, when the M23 attacked enemy positions in an attempt to regain control of the area.(33) Fighting also took place west of Nyabiondo on the RP529 in Walikale. Pro-Congolese government forces attacked the M23 and attempted to capture the village of Kibati on RP529 on February 28.(34) Kibati is the forward position of the M23 on the RP529, approximately 14 miles west of Nyabiondo on the RP529 at Walikale. The two camps reportedly clashed again in Kibati on March 1.(35) Fighting continued on March 2, when the M23 reportedly repelled another enemy attempt to capture the village.(36) News.cd reported on March 2 that the M23 had deployed reinforcements to Kibati from the village of Kashebere on the RP529.(37)
South-West Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu
Nothing significant to report.
Major political developments
The United States sanctioned the Rwandan army (RDF) and called for its immediate withdrawal from eastern DRC. The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the RDF and four senior RDF officials on March 2.(38) The four sanctioned officials are the Chief of Army Staff, the Commander of the RDF 5th Infantry Division, the RDF Chief of Defense Staff and the Commander of the RDF Special Operations Forces.(39) The Treasury Department said in a press release that it sanctioned these officials and the RDF as an organization for violating its commitments to the Washington Accords by providing “direct operational support” to the M23 and its affiliates and jeopardizing the security and stability of the DRC.(40) The Treasury Department said FDR's military support for the M23 directly allowed the group to gain territory.(41) The US State Department said in a separate press release that Rwanda's support enabled the M23 to carry out “terrible human rights violations”.(42) The Treasury Department said the M23's continued presence near the border with Burundi risks widening the conflict into a broader regional war.(43) US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US expected the FDR's “immediate withdrawal” from eastern DRC.(44)
Significant regional economic activity supported by the United States
Nothing significant to report.
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