On January 27th, a rebel group supported by Rwanda entered Goma, the largest city in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, also known as Congo (Kinshasa). The Congolese army and Rwandan military exchanged fire at the border between the two countries, marking the most serious escalation in the conflict that has been ongoing for over a decade.
The M23 militia, dominated by the Tutsi ethnic group, leading the rebel alliance, announced that they had taken control of Goma, a lakeside city with a population of over 2 million, located on the border with Rwanda. Goma was briefly occupied by M23 in 2012 as well.
Videos on social media depicted sounds of gunfire and artillery near Goma airport, in the city center, and at the border areas.
Prior to the rebel occupation, M23 had set a 48-hour surrender deadline for the Congolese army. The rebel group declared the takeover of Goma just minutes before the deadline expired.
In a statement, the rebels urged the residents of Goma to remain calm and requested members of the Congolese army to gather at the central sports stadium.
The leader of the rebel armed group, Congo River Alliance (including M23), Corneille Nangaa, informed Reuters that his forces had taken control of Goma. He stated that the soldiers had begun surrendering but it would take some time. The complete control of the entire city by M23 remains unverified at present.
The Congolese government accused Rwanda of sending troops into its territory, threatening a “massacre.” The Congolese government urged residents to stay in their homes to avoid looting.
Rwanda, on the other hand, expressed concerns about the fighting near the border and called for a “continuous defensive posture.”
United Nations sources revealed that Congolese soldiers stationed on Mount Goma within the city engaged in gunfire with Rwandan troops on the other side of the border.
Unverified social media videos showed people looting goods outside the Goma airport customs warehouse. A prison official stated that chaos had escalated, with thousands of inmates escaping from Goma’s main prison.
Hundreds of thousands of people displaced due to recent fighting or past conflicts sought refuge in Goma and surrounding camps. The entry of M23 rebels into the city could lead to more civilians being displaced, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
A significant number of locals began fleeing the area. The United Nations is arranging for the evacuation of staff and their families to Rwanda.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the M23 attack could escalate into a broader regional conflict.
According to UN data, the rebel advance since the beginning of the year has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee, bringing the total number of displaced persons in eastern Congo to 3 million in 2024.
The UN Security Council held a crisis meeting on Sunday, where the US, France, and the UK condemned what they termed as Rwanda’s support for the rebel advance.
UN Special Representative Bintou Keita informed the Security Council that despite UN peacekeeping support for the Congolese armed forces, M23 and Rwandan forces had entered a community on the outskirts of Goma, causing “widespread panic.”
Keita noted that M23 was advancing and using residents as “human shields.”
Congolese Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner told the Security Council that Rwanda was engaging in “direct aggression, no longer concealed behind diplomatic means.”
Rwanda’s Ambassador to the UN, Ernest Rwamucyo, neither confirmed nor denied the accusations by Congo, blaming the Congolese government instead, asserting that the crisis could have been avoided if it had shown a genuine commitment to peace.
Congo severed ties with Rwanda late last Saturday. Violence surged over the past week, resulting in at least 13 peacekeepers losing their lives.
The eastern border regions of Congo, bordering Rwanda, are home to numerous rebel groups and militias. The region’s unrest can be traced back to two regional wars following the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Extremist Hutu militants massacred nearly a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus during the genocide. Many Hutus, including some perpetrators of the genocide and other refugees, fled to Congo after the massacre, contributing to instability in the region.
With a population of 100 million, Congo, roughly the size of Western Europe, possesses abundant mineral resources attracting the interest of Chinese and Western companies, as well as various armed groups eyeing the riches.
M23 is one of approximately 100 armed groups in Congo, competing for the resource-rich areas in a conflict that has lasted for decades, making it one of Africa’s largest conflicts.
The M23 rebellion was named after the peace agreement ending former rebellions in the region on March 23, 2009. Founded in 2012, the organization claimed to be protecting the Tutsi ethnic group from discrimination by the Congolese army, but often expressed intentions against the Congolese government.
Although M23 agreed to disarmament demands during their 2012 withdrawal from Goma under international pressure, the organization never fully disarmed.
After a decade of relative quiet, the group resurfaced at the end of 2021, with its leaders alleging that the Congolese government had failed to fulfill promises of disarmament and integration for the Tutsi community.
In 2022, M23 launched a fresh offensive, seizing the resource-rich North Kivu province known for its tantalum production used in smartphones.
The UN estimated that M23’s personnel had increased from hundreds to around 6,500 combatants.
Experts on Congo suggested that convincing M23 to retreat this time might be more challenging, as their motivation for this attack appears different.
Economist Intelligence Unit analyst Darren Davids stated, “Previously, they had clear demands, hoping to integrate into the army and have greater political participation. This time, their motivation for launching the attack is rooted in the desire for territorial control, particularly in the North Kivu region.”
(This article references reports from the Associated Press and Reuters)