March 23 Movement (M23) rebels have claimed they released and handed over more than 5,000 soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of confidence-building efforts aimed at ending the conflict with the government in Kinshasa.
According to the rebel group, the soldiers were captured across various battlefronts in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The movement said that after the fall of Goma in January 2025, thousands of captured FARDC soldiers were taken to their camp in Rumangabo.
In a statement released on Sunday, rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said the soldiers were handed over to the ICRC on March 2, 2026, at Rumangabo camp. He described the release as a humanitarian gesture intended to demonstrate the group’s commitment to confidence-building measures and international humanitarian law.
“The Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement informs the public that it has once again handed over more than 5,000 FARDC elements captured on various fronts to the International Committee of the Red Cross,” Kanyuka said in the statement.
He added that the soldiers would be repatriated under ICRC supervision. However, Kanyuka accused the government in Kinshasa of refusing to release detained M23/AFC fighters and other individuals whom he said had been arbitrarily arrested.
He also alleged that government forces continued to violate ceasefire agreements and target civilians, warning that the bloodshed of Congolese citizens “will not be ignored nor swept under the rug.”
In late February 2026, the rebel group also announced the release of 40 minors, about 100 women and 230 FARDC soldiers following humanitarian discussions with Hadja Lahbib.
According to the rebels, the minors and women had been recruited by FARDC but were captured during fighting, while the wounded soldiers were taken for treatment at Katindo Military Hospital.
Despite the reported releases, fighting continues in eastern Congo. On Sunday, residents reported that FARDC forces and allied troops used kamikaze drones to bombard areas including Gakenke and Kalingi, causing panic and displacement among civilians.
On Saturday, government forces also reportedly shelled M23/AFC positions in Mushaki. The renewed clashes follow tensions triggered by reports that M23/AFC political spokesperson Willy Ngoma was killed in a drone strike by FARDC in Rubaya.
The escalation raises uncertainty about whether ongoing peace talks in Doha will produce a breakthrough. Since its resurgence in 2022 under leaders Bertrand Bisimwa and Sultan Makenga, M23/AFC has repeatedly exchanged accusations with the Congolese government over ceasefire violations.
Kinshasa has consistently accused Rwanda of backing the rebels, allegations denied by both Kigali and the M23 movement.
The group says its objective is to fight corruption, xenophobia and discrimination within the country’s political leadership. In early 2025, it launched a major offensive across eastern Congo, capturing several towns and raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
