M23 Fighters Conduct New Sweep in Nyiragongo, Dozens Arrested
Fighters from the AFC/M23 movement launched a new security operation early Friday morning, October 17, in Nyiragongo Territory, North Kivu Province, arresting an unspecified number of people suspected of collaborating with enemy groups.
According to local sources, the sweep took place in Ngangi 3 village, located in the Munigi area, north of the city of Goma. This marks the second such operation by M23 in less than 48 hours.
A similar one was conducted on Tuesday, October 14, in Kiziba 2 village, also within Munigi, as part of ongoing efforts to tighten security in areas under the group’s control. AFC/M23 leadership said the operations aim to curb crime, improve public security, and dismantle cells suspected of collaborating with enemy forces, including FARDC, Wazalendo, and FDLR militias.
Witnesses reported that around 5:00 a.m., M23 soldiers surrounded the area near Kiyabo School, ordering residents out of their homes for identity checks. Several people were detained during the operation, though the exact number remains unclear. Those arrested are suspected of ties to the Congolese army (FARDC), local militias, or criminal gangs accused of robbery and attacks on civilians.
Sources close to the AFC/M23 command indicated that the sweep was triggered by intelligence suggesting the presence of armed infiltrators seeking to destabilize Nyiragongo.
Friday’s operation mirrors a previous one carried out on September 25 in Kasika and Mabanga Sud neighborhoods, within Goma’s Karisimbi commune, where dozens were also detained. At that time, M23 said the crackdown followed reports of former FARDC soldiers and relatives of military personnel regrouping after Goma’s fall to the rebels in January 2025.
