DR Congo gripped by M23 advances, protests as regional mediation remains pending

KINSHASA, DRC | Xinhua | Tensions are running high in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as fighting between the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group and the DRC army continues in the eastern city of Goma, while civilian protests intensify in the capital, Kinshasa.

Hostilities resumed on Tuesday morning in Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province and a regional hub, after a relatively calm night. Mediation efforts to restore peace remain pending on various regional and international platforms.

Local sources told Xinhua that intense fighting has been ongoing since early Tuesday near the airport, a strategic location that previously fell into the hands of the rebels.

In Kinshasa, the city woke up in turmoil as civil society groups mobilized the local population to protest against the violence in Goma and the inaction of the international community.

Protesters flooded the city’s major arteries, slowing traffic, blocking commercial activities, burning tires and chanting in front of the foreign embassies and the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission.

Since late Sunday, violent hostilities have been reported throughout Goma, home to about one million residents, with over 700,000 internally displaced people already living on the outskirts in dire conditions.

Vital Kamerhe, president of the National Assembly, the country’s lower house of parliament, announced late Monday that President Felix Tshisekedi would address the nation in light of the humanitarian crisis and M23’s advances. However, he did not specify the exact timing of the president’s address.

NO CEASEFIRE STATEMENT ISSUED

The Uruguayan army, which contributes to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), said early Tuesday that the warring factions had reached a ceasefire agreement facilitated by the UN peacekeeping mission.

However, neither the DRC government nor MONUSCO has issued an official statement regarding the ceasefire.

Local sources reported that fighting intensified in several neighborhoods of Goma on Monday morning, including areas near the Rwandan border.

“Active combat zones have spread to all neighborhoods of the city,” said Bruno Lemarquis, deputy UN envoy and chief humanitarian officer in the DRC, during a press conference on Monday.

In its latest statement issued early Monday, M23 announced that “the liberation of the city is complete” and that “the situation is under control.”

According to sources from the UN peacekeeping mission, the rebel group gained control of several key installations on Monday, including the airport, the port, and a local DRC army base.

MEDIATION PENDING

An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council is expected to be held on Tuesday to address the security situation in the eastern DRC.

On Sunday, UN Security Council members strongly condemned M23’s ongoing advances, calling on the rebel group to immediately reverse its territorial expansion.

On Monday, Kenyan President William Ruto announced that, amid the tense situation in the eastern DRC, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Tshisekedi had agreed to participate in an extraordinary East African Community (EAC) summit on Wednesday.

However, Tina Salama, spokesperson for the DRC president, said that participation in the extraordinary EAC summit “is not yet confirmed.”

The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, while Rwanda, denying these allegations, accuses the Congolese army of supporting and collaborating with remnants of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a group allegedly responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

The international community has advocated for a political solution through the Luanda Process and the Nairobi Process, a parallel peace mechanism led by the EAC.

HUMANITARIAN NIGHTMARE

After decades of violence and conflict, the eastern DRC faces one of the world’s most severe, complex and neglected humanitarian crises, according to the UN.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over M23’s renewed hostilities. In a statement issued Thursday by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, Guterres condemned the rebel group’s new offensive since the start of the year and its expansion in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.

While the offensive has caused devastating civilian losses and increased the risk of a broader regional conflict, Guterres called on M23 to immediately cease its attacks, withdraw from all occupied areas and respect the ceasefire agreement established last August.

Addressing the Security Council on Saturday, Joyce Msuya, UN deputy secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, noted that more than 21 million people in the DRC require assistance, one of the highest numbers globally, while around one million have already sought refuge in neighboring countries. She warned that the escalation in the eastern DRC threatens to worsen an already critical humanitarian situation.

According to the UN, more than 400,000 people have been displaced in the eastern DRC since the beginning of 2025. ■