DRC Crisis: Rebels Claim To Capture Goma

A significant development in the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: Rwanda-backed M23 rebels say they have captured Goma city – the provincial capital of North Kivu. The announcement follows a rapid offensive by the group, which a UN experts’ report in July 2024 said has been bolstered by Ugandan and Rwandan support.

M23 say they are fighting to protect ethnic Tutsis in DR Congo against attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), extremist rebels linked to the Islamic State group. Yet many Congolese are not buying this since the ADF forces are indiscriminately attacking all Congolese, not just ethnic Tutsis.

Rwanda has not refuted the UN report alleging the deployment of up to 4,000 troops and advanced weaponry to support M23’s operations in the mineral-rich Kivu provinces.

In a recent attack on Goma, M23 forces reportedly killed Major-General Peter Cirimwami, the province’s military governor, during his visit to frontline troops on January 23. According to UN and military sources, 13 peacekeeping troops lost their lives in confrontations with M23, including nine South African soldiers serving under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission, alongside three Malawians and one Uruguayan soldier.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Rwanda to withdraw its forces from the DRC and halt its support for M23.

The situation escalated following the breakdown of peace talks between Rwandan and DRC leaders, which were set to take place on December 15 in Luanda, Angola. Since the start of 2025, the UN Refugee Agency reports that over 400,000 individuals have been displaced, exacerbating an already critical humanitarian crisis in the Great Lakes region.

The ongoing resource conflict in the DRC, which has raged for three decades, has resulted in approximately 6 million deaths and the displacement of over 7 million people.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0qwlkydxxko

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/26/un-chief-calls-for-rwandan-forces-to-leave-drc-as-rebels-press-offensive

https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159401

https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-gravely-concerned-worsening-violence-and-humanitarian-crisis-eastern-dr

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/24/military-governor-drc-north-kivu-province-killed-m23-rebel-offensive

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2l07e550qko

https://apnews.com/article/congo-united-nations-peacekeepers-649174404c6b638bb0fb24dd2edc1ea6

https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2025-01-26/statement-attributable-the-spokesperson-for-the-secretary-general-%E2%80%93-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-scroll-down-for-french-version

https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/118/80/pdf/n2411880.pdf