Goma, the capital of the North Kivu Province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, was taken by the AFC/M23 rebels early on Monday, January 27. In a statement just minutes before the group’s 48-hour ultimatum for the Congolese army to turn in its weapons expired, the rebels declared the city’s takeover.
The rebels called for the Congolese troops to gather around the central stadium and for the people of Goma to maintain their composure. “All Goma citizens are urged to maintain their composure. The rebel’s statement states, in part, that “the city has been successfully liberated and the situation is under control.”
If Congolese government forces (FARDC) do not surrender their weapons, the rebels had previously threatened to march on Goma. Following the government coalition’s military usage of the airport on Sunday, the rebels claimed that the Goma airspace had been shut off.
Lawrence Kanyuka, the spokesperson for M23, added that operations on Lake Kivu had been halted.
“The FARDC must hand over all their weapons and equipment to MONUSCO [the UN mission],” Kanyuka said on Sunday night, adding that a 48-hour ultimatum the rebels had given to government forces elapsed.
“All soldiers must report to the Unity Stadium before 3:00 a.m. [on Monday]. After this deadline, we will proceed to occupy the city of Goma.”
The homicidal FDLR militia, 10,000 Burundian troops, 1,600 European mercenaries, and South Africa-led SADC forces are all part of the government army coalition.
Last week, the fighting intensified as the rebels took control of more area, killed Peter Cirimwami, the military governor of North Kivu, and threatened to march on Goma.
The FDLR senior commander ‘Maj Gen’ Pacifique Ntawunguka, also known as Omega, and soldiers from the UN and SADC missions led by South Africa have since died, among other losses for the government coalition.
The M23 has taken control of the towns of Masisi in North Kivu and Minova in South Kivu in recent weeks.
The Congolese government, which has rejected any chance of discussions with the rebels, labeling them a terrorist movement, has rejected the rebels’ desire for direct peace talks. Since regional efforts to end the conflict have failed, the Congolese government is pursuing a military solution.
Concerns regarding remarks made by several parties regarding the security situation in eastern DR Congo were voiced by the Rwandan government on Sunday.
“Misguided or manipulative statements do not provide any solutions,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned in a statement on Sunday.
“The ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, particularly the recent heavy fighting around Goma, was triggered by constant violations of the ceasefire by the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) in coalition with UN-sanctioned genocidal militia FDLR, European mercenaries, ethnic militias (Wazalendo), Burundian armed forces, SAMIDRC forces as well as MONUSCO troops.”
“This fighting close to the Rwandan border continues to present a serious threat to Rwanda’s security and territorial integrity, and necessitates Rwanda’s sustained defensive posture,” the ministry said.
About The Author
