Yuri Kobzar14:53, 28.01.25

The rise of rebel activity in Congo could potentially draw several African countries into the conflict.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in the center of the African continent, rebels backed by neighboring Rwanda have captured the border town of Goma, Bloomberg reports .

Militants from the M23 rebel movement, which fights for the political and economic interests of the Tutsi people, stormed into the city on Monday and captured most of it. Government forces subsequently regained control of some areas of the city.

Goma’s nominal population is around 700,000, but with refugees, some estimates suggest that the city and its surrounding areas may actually have as many as 2 million people living in them.

According to the UN, fighting between rebels and government forces resulted in damage to a local maternity hospital, killing women and children.

Fighting for the city continued on Tuesday, with witnesses saying militants fired rocket-propelled grenades and mortars into areas of Goma, forcing civilians and UN staff to take cover.

The capture of Goma is part of a long-running conflict in eastern Congo that began in the mid-1990s after the genocide in Rwanda. In an attempt to stabilize the situation, troops from several African countries have already been brought in, including Uganda, Burundi, South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi.

Although Rwanda has long denied actively supporting the M23 rebel movement, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix told reporters on Monday that Rwandan troops were present in Goma. He said there were between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan soldiers, potentially escalating into a state-to-state war between Congo and Rwanda.

Who are the M23 rebels?

The M23 rebel group (March 23 Movement) is an armed group operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, primarily in the province of North Kivu, with its capital in Goma. The name “M23” comes from the peace agreement signed on 23 March 2009 between the DRC government and Tutsi rebels, which M23 says the government has violated.

The group is made up predominantly of fighters from the Tutsi ethnic community. M23 has reportedly received support from neighboring Rwanda and Uganda, which both countries have denied.

M23 fighters said they took up arms because of injustice and corruption in the Congolese government, as well as discrimination against ethnic Tutsis.

In 2012-2013, M23 carried out a series of offensives in North Kivu, notably capturing the city of Goma in November 2012. M23 suffered significant losses following an offensive by the DRC armed forces, which were supported by the UN peacekeeping mission and the UN Intervention Brigade. In November 2013, M23 announced the end of its activities following the defeat, but in 2021-2023, M23 was again active, carrying out attacks in eastern Congo.

The group has been accused of numerous human rights abuses, including mass killings, rape, forced labor, and child recruitment. The group’s increased activity has caused a humanitarian crisis, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

The United Nations and the African Union have repeatedly called for an end to the conflict and a negotiated resolution to the situation.

(C)UNIAN 2025