Congolese army announce they have taken back control of DRC’s Kalembe, M23 rebels deny

The day after M23 rebels seized the eastern townof Kalembe, the Congolese army announced they had taken it back.

However, the rebels claimed that they still have control over Kalembe.

The M23’s incursion into the town broke an Angola-mediated ceasefire agreed upon in August

Kalembe is located in North Kivu province, which has been particularly hard hit since the M23 group launched a renewed insurgency in the country’s east 2 years ago.

Congo and the UN accuse neighbouring Rwanda of supporting the group – allegations that Kigali strongly denies.

Rwanda deems the Hutu extremist group FDLR in eastern DRC a to be a danger to its frontiers.

The M23 rebels, mainly composed of Tutsi fighters, haven swathes of territory in eastern DRC after their offensive began 3 years ago.

Millions have been forced from their homes as a result of the fighting, which has also exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in North Kivu.