For the whole of yesterday, clashes were reported in the village of Kausa in the Kirolirwe region on the Sake-Kitshanga axis, Masisi territory (North Kivu). The clashes were triggered by attacks by FARDC and their coalition against M23 fighters who have since withdrawn from areas they controlled in compliance with the Luanda Summit recommendations.
This follows a statement made by Bruno Mpezo, the commander of the 4th division of FARDC in North Kivu who declared that the coalition of FARDC, FDLR, Nyatura, Mai-Mai, CODECO and Wazalendo would in a few days recapture all territories occupied by M23.
To avoid direct culpability for violation of the Luanda Summit ceasefire, the Kinshasa regime has devised the plan of mobilising FARDC soldiers disguised as local armed groups fighting alongside FDLR and other armed groups to attack the M23 fighters in the areas to where they withdrew as they await negotiations as stipulated by regional peace initiatives.
The clashes are happening in the area of Masisi where the M23 Movement left in the hands of the Burundi EACRF contingent, who are supposed to create a buffer zone as stipulated by the EACRF operational procedures. For some reason, the Kinshasa regime finds it easy to violate the ceasefire with impunity in this area of Masisi.
Unless the Kinshasa regime is condemned, the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes could be become ineffective, which is what the Kinshasa regime wants.