GOMA, DRC — The strategic city of Goma, located in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has fallen to the M23 rebel group, according to their own announcement early Monday.
This development has triggered widespread panic among the city’s two million residents, as described by the United Nations (UN), and has been declared an act of war by the Congolese government.
The M23’s claim of capturing Goma came just minutes before a 48-hour ultimatum they had issued to the Congolese army to surrender their weapons was set to expire.
In a statement released shortly after seizing the city, the rebels called for calm among Goma’s inhabitants and directed members of the Congolese military to gather at the central stadium.
This offensive by the M23 in this resource-rich region significantly threatens to exacerbate one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts and further displace already vulnerable populations.
A UN report indicates that over a third of North Kivu province’s population, where Goma is situated, is already displaced. The capture of the city is expected to worsen this already dire humanitarian situation.
The situation deteriorated rapidly over the weekend. Late Sunday, UN peacekeepers began processing surrendering Congolese soldiers on the city’s outskirts.
Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya, in a video message posted on X (formerly Twitter), urged the protection of civilians and acknowledged the rapidly shifting dynamics of the “war situation.”
The UN Special Representative for Congo, during an emergency UN Security Council meeting late Sunday, painted a grim picture. With the airport closed and roads blocked in this crucial humanitarian and security hub, the UN representative stated that they were “trapped.”
Tensions escalated further when Congo severed diplomatic ties with Rwanda on Saturday. This action followed mounting evidence, gathered by UN experts and others, suggesting Rwandan support for the M23, despite Rwanda’s repeated denials.
The recent surge in violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 13 UN peacekeepers in the past week, leading to renewed displacement of Congolese civilians.
Following months of unsuccessful regional peace efforts, the M23 has made substantial territorial gains along the DRC’s border with Rwanda in recent weeks. On Sunday evening, the rebels demanded the Congolese army surrender their arms and assemble at a local stadium by 3 a.m., threatening to seize the city if their demands were not met.
The Uruguayan army, part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Goma, confirmed in a statement on X late Sunday that some Congolese soldiers had indeed laid down their weapons.
“More than a hundred FARDC soldiers are sheltered in the facilities of the “Siempre Presente” base awaiting the (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) process,” the statement said.
Images accompanying the M23’s statement depicted armed individuals, some in military attire and others in civilian clothing, registering with UN peacekeepers. Bintou Keita, the UN Special Representative, informed the Security Council that despite the UN peacekeeping mission’s support for the Congolese armed forces, M23 and Rwandan forces had penetrated the Munigi area, located approximately 9 kilometers (5 miles) from Goma, triggering widespread panic among the population. Keita reported that advancing M23 combatants were using local residents “as human shields” while others desperately fled the area.
“M23 has declared the airspace over Goma closed,” Keita further stated, emphasizing the dire situation by adding, “In other words, we are trapped.” She also announced that the UN was undertaking a temporary relocation of non-essential staff from the city.
Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, Congo’s Foreign Minister, addressed the Security Council, asserting that Rwanda was engaging in “a frontal aggression, a declaration of war which no longer hides itself behind diplomatic maneuvers.”
Rwanda’s UN ambassador, Ernest Rwamucyo, neither confirmed nor denied Congo’s accusations of Rwandan involvement. Instead, he placed the blame on the Congolese government, arguing that the crisis could have been avoided had they “demonstrated a genuine commitment to peace.”
The United States and France jointly called for an immediate ceasefire and urged Rwanda to cease its support for the M23. Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea issued a stern warning, stating that the US would “consider all the tools at its disposal” to hold accountable those responsible for perpetuating the armed conflict.
In the 48 hours preceding the Security Council meeting, the escalating violence resulted in the deaths of two UN peacekeepers from South Africa and one from Uruguay, with an additional 11 peacekeepers injured and requiring hospitalization, according to the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Secretary-General Guterres himself reiterated his “strongest condemnation” of the M23 offensive, explicitly stating that it was carried out “with the support of the Rwanda Defense Forces.” Through his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, Guterres called on the rebel group to immediately cease all hostilities and withdraw from the occupied areas.
Congo cuts ties with Rwanda
The Democratic Republic of Congo, the United States, and UN experts have all accused Rwanda of supporting the M23, a rebel group primarily composed of ethnic Tutsis who defected from the Congolese army over a decade ago. The M23 is one of approximately 100 armed groups vying for control in this mineral-rich region, where a protracted conflict has generated one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
While the Rwandan government denies supporting the rebels, it did acknowledge last year the presence of its troops and missile systems within eastern Congo, citing the need to protect its own security due to a buildup of Congolese forces near the shared border.
UN experts estimate the number of Rwandan forces in Congo to be as high as 4,000.
In response to the escalating tensions, Congo’s foreign ministry announced late Saturday the immediate severance of diplomatic relations with Rwanda, recalling all diplomatic personnel from the country.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, in a statement to The Associated Press on Sunday, characterized the severing of ties as a unilateral action by Congo. “For us,” Nduhungirehe stated, “we took appropriate measures to evacuate our remaining diplomat in Kinshasa, who was under permanent threat by Congolese officials.”
This is not the first time the M23 has seized control of Goma. The group previously occupied the city in 2012, ultimately withdrawing following significant international pressure exerted on Rwanda.
Civilians flee the rebel advance
Sunday morning was marked by heavy gunfire echoing across Goma, just a few kilometers from the active front line. This renewed fighting prompted a mass exodus from the Kanyaruchinya camp, one of eastern Congo’s largest displacement camps, located near the Rwandan border.
“We are fleeing because we saw soldiers on the border with Rwanda throwing bombs and shooting,” explained Safi Shangwe, as she headed towards the city.
However, even Goma offered little reassurance for some of the displaced. “I heard that there are bombs in Goma, too, so now we don’t know where to go,” expressed Adèle Shimiye, highlighting the pervasive sense of fear and uncertainty.
Hundreds attempted to cross the border into Rwanda, where migration officers at a crossing east of Goma meticulously checked travel documents. “I am crossing to the other side to see if we will have a place of refuge because for the moment, security in the city is not guaranteed,” Goma resident Muahadi Amani told Vivid Voice News.
The situation was described as rapidly deteriorating by UN Deputy Humanitarian Chief Joyce Msuya. “If hostilities spill into Goma – a densely populated urban center – the impact on civilians could be devastating,” she warned.
The Congolese army has stated that it is actively repelling the M23 offensive with the support of allied forces, including UN peacekeepers and troops from the Southern African Development Community Mission (SAMIDRC).
In addition to the two South African UN peacekeepers who were killed, South Africa’s defense ministry confirmed that seven South African troops serving with SAMIDRC have also lost their lives in recent days.
Since 2021, the Congolese government and its allied forces, including the 14,000-strong UN mission, have successfully prevented the M23 from reaching Goma. Goma resident Bahati Jackson’s family, who can hear the ongoing gunfire and vividly remembers fleeing the M23’s takeover of the city in 2012, has chosen to remain.
“If we’re going to die, it’s better to die here,” Jackson stated, reflecting a sentiment of weary resignation.
