Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured Walikale, a strategic town in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in a fresh advance that came despite ceasefire appeals from the Congolese and Rwandan presidents.
AP reported that residents and insurgents said the rebels entered the town late on Wednesday, with rebel commanders later declaring that Walikale had been “liberated.” The town’s capture matters because it sits on a road linking four eastern provinces: North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Maniema. Control of that route gives the rebels leverage over movement and supply lines in a region already strained by years of fighting.
The takeover followed a week of diplomatic failure. Congo’s government and M23 leaders had been expected to meet for ceasefire negotiations on Tuesday, but the rebels withdrew after the European Union announced sanctions on rebel leaders. A day later, the presidents of Congo and Rwanda met unexpectedly in Qatar and called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. The fighting around Walikale showed how little those appeals had changed conditions on the ground.
Residents told AP the rebels were seen near the monument and the Bakusu group office in the town centre. Fiston Misona, a civil society activist in Walikale, said heavy artillery fire could be heard through the day before easing in the evening and giving way to sporadic gunfire. He said the Congolese army was no longer fighting, describing the population as being sacrificed.
M23’s wider alliance issued a statement saying it remained committed to a ceasefire, even as it justified the entry into Walikale by accusing Congo’s army of indiscriminate bombing of populated areas. The statement said the rebels had moved in to protect civilians and property. That dual message — pledging peace while expanding territory — has become a hallmark of the conflict’s recent phase.
The town’s capture comes after a rapid escalation in eastern Congo. The rebels seized Goma in January and Bukavu in February, extending their footprint across mineral-rich territory and increasing pressure on the Congolese armed forces. Walikale adds another strategic node to that chain of gains.
For civilians, the latest advance adds more uncertainty to an already unstable region. The AP account said the fighting eventually quieted down after a day of shelling and gunfire, but it also suggested that formal control of the town had shifted. In a conflict where lines can move quickly and claims are contested, the result is not just territorial. It is psychological.
Walikale is now another reminder that diplomatic statements in eastern Congo are moving far more slowly than armed realities. The rebels’ continued push shows that ceasefire calls, sanctions and urgent talks have not yet stopped the conflict from redrawing the map.
