Congo's Strong Stand Against M23 : Congo Promises Strong Action Against M23 Rebels Amid Peace Initiatives

Kinshasa, Jan 30 (NationPress) Felix Tshisekedi, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), assured a strong response to the advances of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in the eastern DRC, amidst ongoing peace initiatives by regional organizations.

In his televised speech, Tshisekedi stated that "a response is in progress" to reclaim every part of DRC territory. The M23 has asserted control over Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, which serves as a regional center.

He emphasized that alongside military actions supported by the UN peacekeeping mission and Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces, the DRC remains committed to diplomatic efforts, particularly through the Luanda Process, a peace framework led by Angolan President Joao Lourenco.

Tshisekedi met with Lourenco on Wednesday during his visit to the Angolan capital, urging unity among all Congolese and vowing to reduce government expenditures to finance military operations.

"The DRC will not retreat. I assure you: I will never forsake you."

Since Sunday evening, violent confrontations have been reported across Goma, which is home to about 1 million residents, including over 700,000 internally displaced individuals living under dire conditions on the outskirts.

Reports indicate that M23 rebels captured several strategic facilities on Monday, including the airport, the port, and a local DRC army base.

On Wednesday, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric mentioned that while the situation in Goma appears calmer, it remains tense. Ongoing clashes were noted in surrounding areas, particularly in Sake, a key town northwest of Goma.

Sources indicated that the border with Rwanda has gradually reopened, and the M23 rebels have advanced towards the neighboring province of South Kivu, with its capital city, Bukavu, facing imminent danger. Bukavu is located across Lake Kivu to the south of Goma, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Following emergency discussions at the UN Security Council and an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the African Union, a virtual emergency summit of the East African Community (EAC) was convened on Wednesday. The summit called for an unconditional ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access.

"The summit urged all conflict parties in eastern DRC to halt hostilities and observe an immediate and unconditional ceasefire while facilitating humanitarian access to affected populations," stated the leaders in a communiqué issued from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

President Tshisekedi of the DRC, an EAC member, did not attend the summit led by Kenyan President William Ruto, who rotates as the EAC chairman.

Attendees included Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.

The DRC has accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels, a claim that Rwanda disputes. Kigali, in turn, accuses the DRC army of supporting remnants of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a group allegedly responsible for the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

Last December, a peace summit under the Luanda Process, which aimed for a peace agreement between Tshisekedi and Kagame, was abruptly canceled.

Kinshasa, refusing any direct negotiations with the M23, hinted at potential channels by reactivating the Nairobi Process, an EAC-led parallel peace initiative brokered by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. The M23 was excluded from the Nairobi Process by Kinshasa in 2022.

A joint summit of the EAC and the SADC, also involved in the eastern DRC situation, is anticipated in the coming days to discuss future actions.

The SADC is set to commence an extraordinary summit on Thursday in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, to address the situation in eastern DRC, according to a statement from the SADC Secretariat.

On Wednesday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that violence and looting of humanitarian warehouses persist in Goma, hindering aid workers' ability to respond and putting them at risk.

OCHA noted that since the intensification of fighting, its humanitarian partners have documented over 2,000 injuries. Some bodies remain in the streets, and water and electricity supplies have been disrupted since Sunday.

"We demand the prompt restoration of these services and the protection of humanitarian warehouses, along with facilitating medical evacuations for the injured," stated Dujarric, the chief spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, during a briefing on Wednesday.

OCHA indicated that the closure of Goma airport has suspended the flow of humanitarian cargo and personnel rotations.

Most roads connecting Goma to the rest of the country are also closed. However, the border with Rwanda is open, allowing additional humanitarian teams to enter the DRC.

"Humanitarian Coordinator Bruno Lemarquis urges all involved to adhere to international humanitarian law and cease violence against civilians," OCHA stated. "He reiterates the need for a secure humanitarian corridor to ensure unobstructed humanitarian access and establish a border crossing to aid those fleeing violence."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his deep concern regarding the escalating violence in eastern DRC and reiterated his strongest condemnation of the M23's ongoing offensive and advances towards Goma.

Guterres called on the M23 to cease all hostile actions immediately and withdraw from occupied territories.

Since the beginning of 2025, over 400,000 individuals have been displaced in eastern DRC, according to the UN.