FARDC Urges More M23 Fighters to Lay Down Their Arms as 11 surrender

The surrender of 11 more M23 fighters in Kalehe is adding to signs of pressure on rebel ranks in eastern DR Congo, as the Congolese army says the men handed over five weapons on the Bunyakiri axis in northern South Kivu. The latest development, reported by 7sur7 on Thursday, comes as military officials continue urging other combatants to lay down their arms and return to government control.

According to the report, Lieutenant Jérémie Meya, spokesperson for the Sukola II operational sector in northern South Kivu, said the fighters told authorities they were relieved to be alongside government forces. He added that sector commander Colonel Kisembo Isingoma Benjamin called on other rebels to surrender to the FARDC, which he said respects international humanitarian law.

The Kalehe surrender also fits into a broader pattern of defections reported across the Kivus. A separate report this week said 263 former AFC/M23 members, including four officers, laid down their arms between February and March in North and South Kivu, with cases recorded in territories including Lubero, Rutshuru, Masisi and Kalehe.

That matters because the security situation remains volatile even as diplomatic efforts continue. The United Nations said in February that talks showed signs of progress, but warned that violence on the ground was still persisting in areas controlled or contested by M23 in North and South Kivu.

For Kinshasa, the new defections may create an opening beyond the battlefield. If more fighters continue to surrender in places such as Kalehe, Fizi and Minembwe, the government could face growing pressure to turn military gains into a clearer reintegration and screening process, especially in a conflict still marked by displacement, abuse allegations and competing armed actors across the region.