M23 Crisis Analysis – Report #14, North Kivu province, 23 February 2024 – Democratic Republic of the Congo

CONTEXT

Since 2022, the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in
particular North Kivu, has been gripped by a devastating conflict that has intensified
and become increasingly complex over time, with the potential to reach
unprecedented levels in the province.
This crisis is characterised by an abundance of armed actors in the conflict, a largescale displacement and an increasing number of population in need of humanitarian
aid. The ongoing conflict between the M23 group and the Forces Armées de la
République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) and their allies has been a major source
of violence and instability in the region.
The start of the deployment of the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) regional force has been announced for 28 December 2023. This initiative
comes as a response to renewed fighting between the FARDC and its allies on the
one hand, and the M23 group on the other.
A summit of heads of state was held in Addis Ababa on 17 February 2024 to
defuse the crisis in the east of the DRC. The aim is to relaunch the peace process,
convey a ceasefire between the FARDC and the M23 group and initiate direct
dialogue between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
The period from 13 to 19 February 2024 was particularly characterised by a
precarious lull in the territory of Nyiragongo and Rutshuru on the one hand and the
continuation of hostilities in the territory of Masisi on the other. Heavy artillery
projectiles continue to cause human damage in Sake and Mubambiro.
The heightening of tension over the past few weeks has led to the continued
displacement of people from host communities and displaced persons previously
living in sites or with host families on the Sake-Bweremana axis towards the
province of South Kivu in Kalehe territory and towards Goma and the surrounding
area. New sites and urgent humanitarian needs have increased yet again, despite the
interventions already underway.
Since the beginning of the crisis, IOM, through its Displacement Tracking Matrix
(DTM), has continued conducting a series of rapid assessments, including emergency
monitoring (EET/ERM), crisis analysis and registration with the aim of responding to
immediate information needs in order to understand displacement dynamics.
This report presents the results of assessments carried out in the various
displacement and return areas between 13 and 21 February 2024.