By Shriya Patel
Current Situation in Goma
With little opposition from the Congolese military, heavily armed M23 men entered Goma. Thousands of people fled their houses in fear, as the city swiftly fell into anarchy. While many people are still stranded in conflict-affected areas, hospitals are flooded with casualties from shooting and explosives. The attack has been denounced by the UN, which has warned that the humanitarian situation is getting worse every minute. The city’s electricity and water services have been shut off. Important highways around Goma have been closed, and the UN says the airport can no longer be used for humanitarian relief and evacuation, because it has been reported that it has been taken. Demonstrators in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, have targeted the embassies of Rwanda, Uganda, France, and Belgium in protest of the ongoing rebel attack on Goma. The French foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, said part of the French embassy was burned. The extreme lack of food, water, and medical supplies, according to humanitarian agencies, necessitates urgent international action. The rebels have also been accused by the UN of abusing human rights, specifically by using violence against women and enrolling civilians against their will. Despite appeals for a ceasefire, the situation is still unpredictable. The Congolese military recently reorganised on the outskirts of the city, warning that a counteroffensive could result in more casualties and damage.
Background of the M23 Rebellion
In 2012, the Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP), a former militia that had been integrated into the Congolese army after a 2009 peace deal, split off to create the M23 rebel group. The rebels claim that the government did not fully honour the date of this agreement, March 23, which is where the moniker “M23” originates. M23 claims to be fighting for the rights of the Tutsi community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the majority of the group’s leadership are ethnic Tutsi fighters. The Democratic Republic of Congo has retaliated by accusing Rwanda of supporting M23 in order to gain control of lucrative natural resources, while M23 has accused the Congolese government of aiding these militias. International pressure, and a military intervention by the UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO, forced M23 to leave Goma after a brief occupation in 2012. After retreating into neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda, the rebels essentially lay dormant for nearly a decade. They did, however, reappear in late 2021 and begin a fresh onslaught that has steadily gathered momentum, up to their most recent conquest of Goma.
International Involvement
Tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have increased as a result of M23’s resurgence. UN experts and other international organisations have reported that Rwanda has provided M23 with military and logistical support, an accusation that Rwanda strongly denies. Regional organisations’ attempts to resolve the dispute have so far failed. M23 has continued its military operations despite efforts by the East African Community (EAC) to mediate peace talks.International organisations have urged a diplomatic solution at the same time, warning that continued fighting might cause instability across the Great Lakes region. The situation is still terrible, and there is growing concern that DR Congo and Rwanda will engage in direct combat. With M23 now firmly established in Goma, the path to peace appears more difficult than ever despite calls from the UN and the African Union for all parties to halt hostilities and engage in negotiation.