Summary:
- M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka accused coalition forces supporting the Kinshasa regime of using Goma Airport to load bombs that are killing civilians.
KIBUMBA (DRC): The March 23 Movement (M23) has announced the closure of airspace over Goma.
In a statement released on Sunday, M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka accused coalition forces supporting the Kinshasa regime of using Goma Airport to load bombs that are killing civilians.
Kanyuka called on all armed forces operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—including the Burundian National Defense Force, SAMIDRC, and private military companies such as Ajemira—to cease hostilities and withdraw from Congolese territory.
The conflict between the M23 rebels, led by Bertrand Bisimwa and Emmanuel Sultan Makenga, and the Congolese government began in March 2022. The rebels have since seized control of significant parts of North Kivu province.
In August 2024, M23 leadership allied with Corneille Nangaa Yobeluo, the former chairman of the DRC’s electoral commission and leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), further intensifying their insurgency.
The DRC government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, allegations denied by both Rwanda and the M23. The rebel group insists that their fight is against corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination within the Congolese leadership.
