BY BICHOLIN K MUSISI

GOMA/KINSHASA —On August 9, M23 and allied Twirwaneho militia seized Kaniola, Mulamba, and Nzibira in South Kivu, forcing Congolese forces and Wazalendo self-defence units into retreat and displacing thousands of civilians.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s army and the M23 rebel movement have issued sharply conflicting statements over responsibility for renewed fighting in North and South Kivu, each accusing the other of systematically breaching the fragile ceasefire agreed last month in Doha.

On Monday, the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) claimed that government forces had deployed troops and military equipment to multiple locations — including Nzimbira, Mwenga, Bunyakiri, Kibubwa, Pinga, and Uvira — in what it described as deliberate provocations and the ninth violation of the ceasefire. The group alleged that Kinshasa was preparing for “a large-scale conflict” and accused it of endangering civilians through attacks on populated areas.

Less than 24 hours later, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) fired back, accusing M23 of a “belligerent attitude” marked by near-daily assaults on government positions in North and South Kivu and targeted massacres of unarmed civilians, mostly from the Hutu community in North Kivu.

“These almost daily attacks are compounded by massacres of defenseless Congolese civilians,” FARDC spokesperson Maj. Gen. Ekenge Bomusa Efomi said in Tuesday’s communiqué.

He denounced what he called the rebels’ “fallacious rhetoric” in the media to justify their violations of the Washington peace accord and Doha Declaration of Principles.

The exchange of accusations comes as M23 consolidates battlefield gains.

On August 9, M23 and allied Twirwaneho militia seized Kaniola, Mulamba, and Nzibira in South Kivu, forcing Congolese forces and Wazalendo self-defence units into retreat and displacing thousands of civilians.

The fall of Nzibira — home to an airfield critical to government supply lines — further shifted the military balance in the province.

Humanitarian agencies warn that the fighting is exacting a steep civilian toll.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that M23 and allied groups killed at least 80 civilians in South Kivu in early August and 319 in North Kivu in July. FARDC’s latest allegations add an ethnic dimension, citing targeted killings of Hutu civilians.

Political analysts say the mutual recriminations reflect a broader battle for narrative control as much as for territory.

“M23 is portraying itself as a victim of government aggression while simultaneously expanding its military footprint,” said a regional security observer in Kampala.

“Kinshasa, for its part, is trying to frame the rebels as serial violators of peace agreements — but neither side’s actions match their rhetoric on protecting civilians.”

The diplomatic outlook remains uncertain.

M23 has been excluded from the current phase of Doha-mediated peace talks, which are scheduled to conclude later this month.

A July UN report asserted that Rwanda exercises direct command and control over M23 operations — an allegation Kigali denies — further complicating regional mediation.

With both sides pledging to respond “appropriately” to perceived provocations, aid agencies fear the next phase of fighting could engulf strategic towns such as Uvira and Kamituga, intensifying what is already one of the world’s most severe and protracted humanitarian crises.