'M23 and RDF extending their territorial control' in DR Congo's North Kivu province

The UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo will pause its withdrawal, with no timeline set for the next phase following the initial one in June, the government and mission said. In September last year, President Felix Tshisekedi asked the mission to fast-track the withdrawal of peacekeepers who were deployed to the Central African country to quell insecurity caused by armed groups fighting over territory and resources. Some 3,000-4,000 Rwandan soldiers have been fighting alongside M23 rebels in east DR Congo, said a UN expert report. The North Kivu province has been in the grip of the M23 (March 23 Movement) rebellion since the end of 2021, with the group seizing swathes of territory in the region and installing a parallel regime in areas now under its control. As Congo UN peacekeepers hit pause on their withdrawal, François Picard is joined by Josaphat Musamba, Doctoral Researcher in the Department of Conflict and Development Studies at Ghent University.