Summary:
- “The liberation of Goma city has been successfully carried out and is now under our control,” Kanyuka said, urging residents of the city to remain calm.
KIBUMBA (DRC): The March 23 Movement (M23) has announced the capture of Goma, a major city in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a statement released on Sunday, M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka declared that the 48-hour deadline given to FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) personnel to surrender has expired.
Kanyuka demanded that all FARDC military personnel immediately hand over their weapons to MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC) for safekeeping. He also announced the suspension of all lake activities in the area, effective immediately.
“The liberation of Goma city has been successfully carried out and is now under our control,” Kanyuka said, urging residents of the city to remain calm.
The conflict between the M23 rebels, led by Bertrand Bisimwa and Emmanuel Sultan Makenga, and the Congolese government has been ongoing since March 2022. Since then, the rebels have captured significant parts of North Kivu province.
In August 2024, the M23 leadership formed an alliance with Corneille Nangaa Yobeluo, the former chairman of the DRC’s electoral commission and leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), further escalating their insurgency.
The DRC government has repeatedly accused neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels. Both Rwanda and the M23 have denied these allegations, with the rebel group asserting that their fight is against corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination within the Congolese leadership.
