DRC - Baseline Assessment - M23 Crisis 8 -...

The overall situation from September to October 9, 2023, is characterized by a resurgence of armed violence in the territories of Masisi and Rutshuru. Since October 1, 2023, the coalition of local self-defense armed groups has increased attacks on the positions of the M23 armed group. On October 6, these clashes intensified simultaneously in the territories of Masisi and Rutshuru, during which the self-defense groups recaptured the villages of Busumba, Kibarizo, Kirumbu, Kitshanga, Kilolirwe, Burungu, and Kabalekasha in the health zone of Mweso in the Masisi territory. This extremely violent situation has resulted in numerous casualties, particularly among women and children exposed to crossfire from the fighters and forced to flee their homes. Host and displaced populations, including those who recently returned, have once again abandoned their homes to seek refuge in spontaneous sites near the base of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in Kitshanga, near the military bases of the East African Community (EAC), and the surrounding areas, in the hope of finding some stability and access to humanitarian assistance. These successive clashes lead to prolonged displacements, intermittent and pendulum movements, which increase the vulnerabilities of the affected populations and limit access to immediate assistance and basic services due to this unpredictable conflict situation.

Since the beginning of the crisis, IOM, through the DTM, continues to conduct a series of rapid assessments, including emergency monitoring (EET/ERM), crisis analysis, and registration, with a priority to meet immediate information needs in order to understand displacement dynamics and needs. This report presents the results of the assessments conducted in different displacement and return areas between September 24 and October 9, 2023.