The Tutsi-led M23 group’s recent battlefield successes are reminiscent of the offensive carried out by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other Syrian rebels who toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime

M23 rebel fighters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have taken control of a strategic town in the east of the Central African country, local politicians say, adding to the armed group’s recent gains in the region.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized a strategic eastern town near the provincial capital Goma in Democratic Republic of Congo, local politicians said on Sunday. The Tutsi-led M23 group has been waging a renewed insurgency in eastern Congo since 2022.

Rebel forces backed by Rwanda have captured the town of Masisi in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to various reports. This is the second town seized by the M23 group in as many days in the mineral-rich North Kivu province.

M23 rebels on Saturday captured the key town of Masisi in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the deputy of the North Kivu province said, and warned of “a serious humanitarian crisis” in the region.

Masisi, with a population of around 40,000, which lies about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the North Kivu provincial capital Goma, is rich in agriculture, livestock, and minerals.