M23 rebels seize Masisi town as they advance in eastern DRC Conflict News

The town of Masisi is located in a rich, mountainous area and provides access to Goma, the capital of the state.

M23 rebel fighters in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have seized control of a strategic city in the east of the central African country, local politicians say, adding to the militant group’s latest gains in the region.

Alexis Bahunga, a member of the provincial parliament, told Reuters news agency on Sunday that the group took control of the town of Masisi, 80 km (50 miles) from the major city of Goma, and the local administrative center on Saturday.

“The government will take measures to restore state authority over the entire territory,” he said.

Another MP, Jean-Pierre Ayobangira Safari, said Masi had been taken “for now”.

Corneille Nangaa, leader of the anti-government Congo River Alliance (AFC), which includes the March 23 Movement (M23), said rebel forces had reached the center of Masisi on Saturday afternoon.

Al Jazeera’s Alain Waikani reported that local sources said thousands of people have been displaced by the fighting and are seeking shelter in neighboring regions, including Goma, where four million people already live.

“The security situation in Masisi remains very tense a day after the rebels captured this strategic area, the second largest area, from government forces,” he said from Goma.

“The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, still maintains that there will be no direct dialogue (with the group).”

The United Nations says nearly a million people were displaced by the conflict last year.

DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting M23, a claim Kigali denies. Negotiations between the presidents of the two countries with the mediation of Angola was abruptly canceled in mid-December over disagreements over the terms of a proposed peace treaty.

M23 appeared more than a decade ago and is still around has been carrying out deadly attacks for yearsprimarily located in the resource-rich North Kivu province.

Its leaders are mainly from the Tutsi ethnic group and say one of their aims is to defend themselves against Hutu-led forces that fled Rwanda after the 1994 genocide.

Their capture of large areas in eastern DRC and years of armed attacks a humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people.

With a population of approximately 40,000, Masisi is the administrative capital of the agricultural, livestock and mineral rich Masisi region.

Its capture is a major gain for M23 and raises government concerns about a potential threat to nearby political and commercial centers such as Goma and Bukavu.