International arrest warrant issued for Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance rebel coalition, which includes the Rwandan-backed M23 group

M23 flouted ceasefire in overran Nyabibwe on Wednesday, just two days after declaring a ceasefire

Death toll nears 3,000 including scores of female prisoners who were raped and burned alive with their children

At least 141 jailed women reportedly, were murdered at the Munzenze Central Prison, along with 28 young children who had been in detention with their mothers

‘They were all raped and then they set fire to the women’s wing. They all died afterwards’, the UN peacekeepers report

M23 has been accused of war crimes and treason by a Democratic Republic of Congo military court

The ICC issued an international arrest warrant for Corneille Nangaa, [photo], leader of the Congo River Alliance rebel coalition, which includes M23, the faction accused of perpetrating the recent genocide in the South Kivu province in DRC

Rwandan-backed rebels appeared to violate The unilateral ceasefire declared Monday between the warring sides in Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC], lasted only a couple of days before a faction of the Congo River Alliance rebel coalition went rampaging the country’s mineral rich South Kivu province of Congo overnight.
After the latest bouts of genocide, an international arrest has been issued for Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance rebel coalition, which includes the M23 group, who has been accused of war crimes and treason by a DR Congo military court.
The Rwandan-backed rebel faction, the March 23 Movement, [M23], launched a fresh offensive, clashing with the Congolese forces in the early hours of Wednesday before they captured Nyabibwe, a crucial mining town in South Kivu province.
M23 in a joint offensive with Rwandan troops according to reports, last week drove Congo government troops from the key city of Goma after a bloody battle that left at least 2,900 people dead, including scores of female prisoners who were raped and burned alive during a jailbreak, according to UN reports.
The city was plunged into chaos, with bodies lying in the streets as the rebels executed a rapid advance.

The Congolese Red Cross and volunteers bury victims of the recent conflict in a cemetery in Goma. The battle between govt forces and rebels for the city left 2,900 dead as the M23 overran the city

When declaring the unilateral ceasefire, the M23 said it had ‘no intention of taking control of Bukavu or other localities’.
The ceasefire in retrospect appears to have been a ruse, as the rebels ignored their own pledge and overran Nyabibwe on Wednesday, just two days after declaring that ceasefire: ‘This is proof that the unilateral ceasefire that has been declared was, as usual, a ploy,’ Patrick Muyaya, the Congolese government spokesperson said. 
The fall of Nyabibwe, which lies 70km north of the provincial capital of Bukavu, is seen as a dangerous step in the rebels’ southward advance.
The town is a major commercial hub with rich gold and coltan deposits, making it a highly strategic prize.
Despite M23’s ceasefire declaration on Monday, Congolese officials say they launched an overnight assault, prompting clashes with government forces.
Confirming his fighters had entered the town of Nyabibwe, Congo River Alliance leader Corneille Nangaa insisted that they were acting in self-defense: ‘They attacked us, and we defended ourselves,’ he told Reuters.

Locals try to pick up their lives framed by the burned hulk of a vehicle destroyed during the battle for the town. M23 rebels drove Congolese govt troops from Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC, on Wednesday

Having seized the eastern border city of Goma from Armed Forces of DR Congo M23 rebel soldiers were seen patrolling the streets on Wednesday.

The capture of eastern Congo’s largest city, Goma, by M23 rebels last week has already displaced hundreds of thousands of people, deepening fears of a wider regional war.
Speaking during a UN press briefing on Wednesday, Vivian van de Perre, the deputy head of the UN peacekeeping force in Goma revealed a staggering 2,900 bodies have been retrieved so far amid the chaos.
About 2,000 dead bodies had been collected from the streets of Goma in recent days, with another 900 left in hospital morgues, Van de Perre said, adding that the death toll is expected to rise in the coming days, as the retrieval task continues.
‘There are still many decomposing bodies in certain areas so the WHO is really worried about what kind of epidemic outbreaks that can contribute to,’ Van de Perre noted.   
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has now confirmed it is monitoring the conflict closely amid reports of possible war crimes.
Government in the DRC has long accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels to exploit its mineral-rich eastern provinces which borders Rwanda, a claim Rwanda’s president, Paul Kigame, denies.
Kigame, a member of Rwanda’s Tutsi tribe which straddles the adjoining countries of Congo DRC, Rwanda and Burundi, insists his country is only acting to protect ethnic Tutsi in the region.

Fire rages at the Munzenze Central Prison in Goma during the battle for the DRC’s largest eastern city. Shortly after M23 fighters reached the center of Goma, vast plumes of black smoke rose from the jail on January 27 

The M23, or March 23 movement, refers to the date of an earlier peace agreement the group claims the Congolese government failed to honor. The rebel group, led by Congolese Tutsi commanders, formed in 2012 and is a successor to earlier Tutsi-led rebellions. It briefly captured Goma the same year before being driven out.
M23 leadership claim they are fighting to protect ethnic minorities against a DRC government they have accused of promoting hate speech and discrimination. They are also demanding the return of Congolese Tutsi refugees, many of whom live in Uganda and Rwanda, to Congo.

After M23 rebels seized Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, [DRC], President Félix Tshisekedi [photo], issued a direct threat of war against the group and Rwanda, vowing a decisive response to the escalating conflict in eastern DRC

In contrast the DRC government, considers the M23 a ‘puppet’ of Rwandan interests. President Félix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of deploying ‘thousands of soldiers’ into eastern DRC, intensifying tensions between the two neighbors. He has vowed to retake Goma. ‘We will fight and we will triumph,’ Tshisekedi said in an address to the nation on Wednesday evening.
In the face of the rising tensions between Rwanda and the DRC Rwanda President Paul Kagame, is not backing down.
Kagame declared his country’s readiness to go to war with neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo if necessary, stating, ‘they are ready to fight and are not afraid of anything.’

Not backing down: ‘they are ready to fight and are not afraid of anything.’ says Rwanda President Paul Kagame, [photo], signalling his readiness to go to war with neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo if necessary

The struggle centers around the mineral rich areas in DRC’s eastern region which shares borders with Rwanda and Burundi

The latest accusations of genocide arose after hundreds of women were raped and burned alive during a mass jailbreak in a Goma prison last week. 
The atrocity saw female inmates slain in their wing in the notoriously overcrowded prison after men forced their way in and went on a rampage. 
During the mass jailbreak, thousands of male criminals managed to flee, but the area reserved for women was torched to the ground.
While it’s unclear who was behind the massacre of the female inmates as UN peacekeepers have been barred from entering the site by M23 rebels. However, it was noted that vast plumes of black smoke was seen rising from the jail on January 27, shortly after M23 fighters reached the center of Goma, as long lines of men sprinted away from the carnage. 

Relatives gather for the funeral of a victim of the recent violence at the ITIG Graveyard in Goma on February 4, 2025

According the UN Missions’ Deputy Chief Van de Perre, her team has ‘not been able to verify firsthand all the numbers and what exactly transpired, again, because of the situation in Goma which makes it very difficult for us to go out and move around’.
Earlier reports suggested at least 141 jailed women were murdered, along with 28 young children who had been in detention with their mothers. 
‘There was a major prison breakout of 4,000 escaped prisoners. A few hundred women were also in that prison… They were all raped and then they set fire to the women’s wing. They all died afterwards,’ she said.
Local reports claim that during the mayhem, inmates were gunned down by guards as they attempted to stop the mass break out. 

These soldiers from rebel faction, M23, have been accused by the UN of raping and torching hundreds of women, along with children in the jails after they stormed the city of Goma on Jan. 27

Govt. troops of the Democratic Republic of the Congo stand guard as Major-General Somo Kakule Evariste, the military governor of Kivu province launches the rehabilitation of the Mbau-Kamango road in Beni territory on Tuesday

A week on from the rampage and the Munzenze jail lies in ruins and is completely empty, with the guards having deserted their posts.  
A large part of the facility has been destroyed by blaze, including the prison administration’s office. The prison was also looted in the wake of the escape.
Prior to the incident, Munzenze Central Prison housed around 4,400 inmates, well beyond its capacity.
In a disturbing new claim following the uprising, the UN office of the high commissioner for human rights (OHCHR) warned that sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war by rival armed groups in Goma.
The city, home to one million people, is now under the complete control of M23 fighters. 

A ruined military vehicle, relic of the intense battle between govt troops and rebel soldiers for control of the important city of Goma in the eastern DRC. The M23 rebel army now control the city

Survivors and locals forced to live in makeshift tents after been displaced from their homes during the firefight

On Monday the rebel group declared a ceasefire would begin on Tuesday for ‘humanitarian reasons’. 
The alliance of rebel groups – known as the ‘Congo River Alliance’, which M23 is a member of, on previous occasions accused the Congolese military of killing people and bombing rebel held areas.
The organization added it does not intend to seize any further territory, despite saying otherwise last week, and it will hold its positions.
In a statement, the alliance said: ‘We reiterate our commitment to protecting and defending the civilian population and our positions.’ 
Prior to this, fears had been mounting that that Rwanda was determined to take more territory from its vast neighbor, with M23 forces steadily pushing south towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province 120 miles from the besieged Goma.   

Members of the Congolese Red Cross and Civil Protection team so far recovered and buried 2,900 victims of the fighting, but an estimated 2,000 more still need to be cleared 

Mass burial in a local cemetery in Goma on Tuesday Feb 4, for victims killed in the intense battle for city located in the eastern part of DR Congo, by members of the Congolese Red Cross and volunteers

Regional conflict has seen hundreds of thousands of people displaced over the last three years.
Since the start of 2025, more than 400,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes, according to the UN’s refugee agency.
in a recent CNN interview Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame, a former soldier rebel leader who now also heads of his country’s defense force, claimed that he did not know if his country’s troops were in the DR Congo.
‘There are many things I don’t know. But if you want to ask me, is there a problem in Congo that concerns Rwanda? And that Rwanda would do anything to protect itself? I’d say 100 per cent,’ he told CNN on Monday.
With Bukavu now within the rebels’ reach, fears are growing in the Great Lakes region that the conflict could spiral further, drawing in more regional forces and plunging eastern Congo into deeper chaos. Tension is said to have reached boiling point ahead of a regional summit in Tanzania this weekend.