Reports indicate that following heavy fighting on March 4 and March 5, M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo took control of Nyanzale, a small town in Rutshuru territory that was a key stronghold of the FDLR, a militia group that is spreading genocide ideology in the region.

Based in eastern DR Congo for more than two decades, the FDLR is a terrorist militia group formed by remnants of the perpetrators of 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

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Located more than 100 kilometres north of the North Kivu provincial capital Goma, Nyanzale is at the junction of Lubero, Butembo and Walikare areas. Reports says the rebels also took control of the localities of Kashalira, Kirima and Ngoroba.

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The Congolese army, FARDC, confirmed the capture of Nyanzale, according to Reuters.

FDLR is part of a Congolese government-led coalition that includes Burundian forces, troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), fighting M23 rebels. The UN-sanctioned militia poses a threat to Rwanda and is accused of spreading genocide ideology against Congolese Tutsi communities.

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Since early 2024, hostilities escalated and the fighting got closer to Goma, the capital of DR Congo’s North Kivu Province, following the withdrawal of the East African Community regional force which had been mandated with observing a ceasefire.

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In early 2023, the EAC deployed a regional force (EACRF) to eastern DR Congo. Despite the fact that the development led to a ceasefire from March to September 2023, Kinshasa expelled the EAC regional force and replaced it with a SADC mission. The southern African regional bloc’s regional force, known as SAMIDRC, was deployed in December 2023.

According to Kigali, DR Congo’s refusal to renew the mandate of the EAC regional force undermined efforts to bring peace to the country’s troubled east.

In February, the Rwandan government asked the United Nations to reconsider its intended support to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) military mission in conflict-ridden eastern DR Congo, saying the decision would be based on the "wrong premises” and could be in favour of forces set against Rwanda's security.

Different regional and international organisations have called on the parties to return to peace negotiations that have stalled for months.

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The FDLR has been integrated into the Congolese army. Rwanda has, for years, asked the Congolese government to end its collaboration with the genocidal militia, to no avail. The militia group not only threatens DR Congo’s security but has launched attacks on Rwanda for more than two decades.