A violent clash has again erupted between the pro-government forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebels on the hills surrounding the strategic Sake town in Goma, the capital of North Kivu.

The Volunteers for the Defence of Fatherland (VDF) are supporting the country’s soldiers while the rebels are backed by the Rwandan armed forces in the ongoing clash. The M23 rebels launched the first volley of fire to capture Sake but were pushed back by the pro-government forces. The violence began around 4 a.m. today, Jan. 7, local sources told HumAngle.

“Fighting is continuing right now and so it is difficult to give casualty figures. The exchange of fire has been going on in the mountains surrounding Sake but nobody between the M23 and the government forces has advanced even by a single metre. All are holding on to their initial positions,” Ismael Matungulu, a local journalist in DR Congo, said briefly.

Prince Sabuni, a resident of Sake, added that there has been total confusion in the area over repeated bombings from both sides. “Clashes are reported in Lutobogo and in three directions towards Sake. Thus, for now, it is terrible around Lutobogo, Vunano and in areas around Sake,” he said.

Sake, once a haven for thousands of displaced persons in the country in the past year, has now been turned into a battleground for the government forces and the rebels. Many displaced people settling in the town have been re-displaced following the ongoing clashes.

Local administrative and military authorities are yet to issue any statement on the present situation as the M23 once again tried to take control of Sake. Heavy gun firing has been noted in and around Sake, causing fears of a possible takeover by the M23 rebels. 

Despite recent condemnations from the European Union and the United States, the violent clashes persist, with a fresh trove of terror. On Monday, the EU and USA authorities  called on the M23 to immediately withdraw, charging the Rwandan troops to stop backing the armed groups.