The Congolese National Army, FARDC, on Saturday, Dec. 21, recaptured Mambasa, the chief town of Bamate chiefdom that had been captured the previous week by the March 23 (M23) rebels.
According to a member of the Alimbongo civil society, corroborated by a notable member of Kitsombiro, Mambasa was recaptured after intense fighting between the FARDC supported by the Wazalendo and M23 rebels supported by Rwandan soldiers.
As of Sunday, Dec. 22, FARDC forces were spotted in the periphery of Alimbongo heading towards the centre of the town. Alimbongo, it should be recalled, is a strategic locality that had been lost to the M23 rebels a week earlier.
“Since Sunday morning, fighting has been ongoing. The army is now very near Alimbongo,” revealed the member of the civil society who opted for anonymity.
“Within 24 hours, the army has pushed the enemy backwards by about 10 kilometres. This is a push to be saluted. And that reassures us that they can recapture Alimbongo at one moment or the other,” added a notable member of Kitsombiro who has been following the evolution of the fighting.
Inhabitants of Kitsombiro, Ndoluma, and Mambasa confirm that the army has been using fighter planes to hit M23 forward lines.
“We saw a fighter plane in the air today. The air force came to support the ground forces,” a source in Ndoluma said.
For the past week, there has been fierce fighting between the FARDC soldiers and M23 fighters in zones of the Bamate chiefdom, and the FARDC seems to have regrouped and reorganised its strategy with a view to pushing the rebels back after they were routed by the M23 from Alimbongo. The main thrust of the FARDC right now is to recapture Alimbongo, which is home to the only general hospital in the zone and remains an important hub which gives access to other crucial towns, especially Mbingi, Luofo through Mbwavinywa, Walikale through Buleusa, and Central Lubero via Kasugho.
The Congolese National Army, FARDC, recaptured Mambasa from the March 23 (M23) rebels on December 21 after intense fighting supported by the Wazalendo and Rwandan soldiers.
By Sunday, FARDC was advancing towards Alimbongo, a strategic locality previously lost to the M23.
Within 24 hours, they managed to push the enemy back by approximately 10 kilometers, enhancing the possibility of recapturing Alimbongo.
Inhabitants of the region, including Kitsombiro and Ndoluma, reported seeing fighter planes backing the ground troops. The FARDC has been actively regrouping and reorganizing to reclaim Alimbongo, a location crucial for its general hospital and as a nexus to other key towns like Mbingi and Walikale. The fighting in recent weeks in Bamate chiefdom zones highlights the significant military efforts to regain control over these strategic areas.