M23 Congo Rebels Rebut Minova City

JAKARTA - M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo claim to seize the city of Minova in the eastern part, the main supply route to the provincial capital of Goma.

The M23 group led by Tutsi has launched a new uprising in the east of the Central African country since 2022. Congo and the United Nations accuse its neighboring country, Rwanda, of supporting the group with its own troops and weapons. Rwanda denies this.

"Minova is in our hands," said Corneille Nangaa, leader of the M23-member Congo River Alliance (AFC).

The fall of the city could make the main city in the eastern part, Goma, which is about 40 km away, a target for rebels. The city's control was confirmed by the governor of Jean-Jacques province of Purusi.

Congo's Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya told Reuters the government had been monitoring the situation since 5 a.m. local time.