Congo registers voters in unstable eastern province

Azam Hakizimana, a displaced Congolese man, holds a voters's card at a camp for internally displaced peopel during the registration of civilians by the electoral commission as voters, in Kanyaruchinya near Goma, North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo February 16, 2023. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi

Democratic Republic of Congo's electoral commission started registering voters this week in North Kivu province, where a rebel insurgency has raised concerns about the state's ability to hold elections there in December.

Parts of North Kivu province are occupied by the M23 rebel group, a Tutsi-led militia that has been clashing with the Congolese army for almost a year. More than 500,000 people have been forced to flee their homes because of fighting.