M23 rebels take key town of Masisi as they advance in eastern DRC
Al Jazeera
The town of Masisi is in a rich, mountainous location that provides access to the provincial capital of Goma.
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.
The group took control of Masisi, a town and local administrative centre about 80km (50 miles) from the major city of Goma, on Saturday, provincial parliament member Alexis Bahunga told the Reuters news agency on Sunday.
“The government will take measures to restore state authority over the entire territory,” he said.
Another parliamentary deputy, Jean-Pierre Ayobangira Safari, said Masisi had been taken “for now”.
Corneille Nangaa, leader of the antigovernment Congo River Alliance (AFC), which includes the March 23 Movement (M23), said rebel forces had reached the centre of Masisi by mid-afternoon on Saturday.
