Clashes Between M23 and Wazalendo Escalate in South Kivu
Throughout mid-May 2026, intense direct fighting and artillery exchanges between the M23 rebel coalition and Wazalendo armed groups escalated in the Kalehe and Minova territories of South Kivu. Mercy Corps and local displacement monitors reported that these specific ground clashes forced roughly 12,000 civilians to abandon their villages. These newly displaced populations fled toward established humanitarian health zones to avoid the deadly crossfire, worsening the dire shelter and resource shortages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Date: May 15, 2026
Location: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Conflict: M23 Rebellion
Category: ground battle
Severity: CRITICAL
Displaced: 12,000
Source: ReliefWeb (Mercy Corps)