By APN Reporter
Several localities have been occupied since Wednesday, May 25 morning by the rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23) in Rutshuru and Nyiragongo.
They fell after heavy fighting that followed simultaneous attacks by the M23 against FARDC positions in these two territories of North Kivu. Traffic on the Goma-Rutshuru road also remains cut off at Kibumba.
In the territory of Rutshuru, the villages of Kanombe, Nyesisi, Kabaya, Rumangabo, Nkokwe, in the group of Kisigari, are currently emptied of their inhabitants. The latter took the direction of Rutshuru-Centre and Kiwanja. They fled their communities after the occupation of Kanombe by suspected M23 rebels at 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday, according to several civilian sources.
The same rebels have also attacked the FARDC since 3 a.m. on the hills of Tchanzu and Runyoni in the Jomba groupement. Residents of Bunagana say heavy artillery detonations were still heard in the area until midday.
But these sources believe that the FARDC still controls the two hills.
And on the southern front, the territory of Nyiragongo, Kibumba, Buhumba, Kigarama, and other surrounding localities are already fully occupied by the rebels. The latter attacked the FARDC in the area at around 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
The military authorities, who claim to be in the midst of operations, have not yet communicated who prevails over the situation.
This morning, the governor, General Constant Ndima, gathered the mixed FARDC-PNC troops for a moral discussion on the security of the city of Goma, threatened by the progress of the rebels.
