The M23 advance on North Kivu capital Goma, first reported last week, saw the United Nations (UN) mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) activate a quick reaction force (QRF), two battalions, a Special Forces platoon and an artillery battery to counter the offensive.
The activation was made known to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) yesterday (Sunday, 26 January) by Bintou Keita who, in addition to heading the world body mission – MONUSCO – is also UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ Special Representative in the troubled central African country. She spoke during a special meeting where escalating violence in especially eastern DRC was the sole topic.
Setting the tone for what was a sombre presentation, Keita told the SC General Peter Cirimwami, North Kivu Military Governor, was wounded “on the battlefield” on 23 January and subsequently died.
Her situation report to the SC had it “despite ongoing MONUSCO support to FARDC, M23 and Rwandan forces penetrated Munigi quarter in the outskirts [of] Goma city, causing mass panic and flight amongst the population. Roads are blocked and the airport can no longer be used for evacuation or humanitarian efforts. M23 has declared the airspace over Goma ‘closed’. In other words, we are trapped”.
M23, she said, expanded its control in North Kivu and extended its advance into South Kivu, where MONUSCO withdrew in June 2024. “It has received reinforcements and supplies to strengthen its positions along several axes, both south and north of Goma. It notably deployed a heavy presence near Sake 25 km west of Goma and is advancing in Munigi nine kilometres north of Goma.”
These developments saw MONUSCO, in line with its mandate to protect civilians, activate Operation Springbok III. This saw two battalions – one rapid deployment and one reserve – along with a QRF, Special Forces platoon and an artillery battery move to operational status. The activation, Keita said, was to reinforce MONUSCO positions to counter the M23 advance.
Keeping civilians safe is a priority and the use of especially artillery will be “carefully calibrated” to avoid harm to Congolese, damaging civilian facilities and steering clear of “our forces on the ground”.
Non-essential UN personnel stationed in Goma have been temporarily relocated for their own safety. Those that remain in the provincial capital will maintain essential UN operations, she said, adding the removal of UN personnel “in no way affects the unwavering commitment of the UN to provide humanitarian aid and protect civilians in North Kivu”.
The M23 advance, according to Keita, has led to an increase in GPS jamming and spoofing incidents. These are now “more intense than ever before” and “hamper” MONUSCO efforts to execute its mandate. To curb and hopefully prevent this type of incident, MONUSCO “stands ready” to provide documentation supporting a DRC complaint to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
“MONUSCO’s robust posture in support of FARDC (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo) and SAMIDRC (SADC Mission in DRC) has helped counter mis- and disinformation,” Keita told the UNSC, urging the Congolese authorities and MONUSCO continue co-ordinating joint communication in the interests of “clear, unified messaging”. She drew the SC’s attention to “a troubling rise in targeted hate speech led by M23-affiliated online campaigners”.
“Their hateful rhetoric targets me as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the Mission’s Spokesperson, who has received threats of sexual violence.”
Rebels claim Goma
On Monday, the M23 claimed they had captured Goma. In a statement, the rebels said they had given the FARDC 48 hours to surrender their weapons over the weekend, and urged civilians to remain calm. Videos showed groups of heavily armed men, believed to be M23 fighters, walking through Goma’s northern suburbs.
The Guardian reported that 100 Congolese government soldiers had handed their weapons to United Nations forces in line with rebel demands. The FARDC, MONUSCO, and SAMIDRC are still believed to hold Goma’s airport and other key areas.
There have been reports of Rwandan and FARC troops exchanging fire across the border, with the DRC claiming Rwanda has sent over a thousand troops into the DRC. Rwanda denies backing the rebels but said that the ongoing conflict poses a national security threat, resulting in a “sustained defensive posture”. The DRC government said Rwanda’s support for the rebels was a “declaration of war.”
Key roads around Goma are blocked and the city’s airport is inactive. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have attempted to flee – the BBC reported that according to the UN, sites on the outskirts of the city sheltering more than 300 000 displaced people, were completely emptied out in the space of a few hours.
South Africa condemns rebel attacks
South Africa’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Mathu Joyini, on Sunday called on the Rwanda Defence Forces to cease support to the M23 and for the rebel group to immediately cease all hostile actions and withdraw from occupied areas.
“We cannot accept a world wherein non-State actors are armed to do the will of other States, while those States refuse to accept responsibility for unnecessary armed violence and potential war crimes.”
At least 13 soldiers serving with peacekeeping forces in the DRC were killed by M23 rebels after two days of fierce fighting, including nine members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) serving with MONUSCO and SAMIDRC.
“We deplore these unwarranted attacks against MONUSCO and the SAMIDRC uniformed personnel who are deployed not only to promote peace, security, and stability in eastern DRC but, by extension, in the African continent in general,” Joyini said.
“The cost of being a UN peacekeeper should never be this high. This Security Council has passed many resolutions providing clear guidance on such violations against peacekeepers. The Security Council must take decisive action against callous acts to undermine its role and decisions to maintain international peace and security.”
Joyini believes that the situation in the eastern DRC requires decisive action from the international community led by the UN Security Council following the killing of peacemakers.
“This Council must send a clear message that peacekeepers’ lives matter. We must value and safeguard the contribution of those entrusted to carry out the mandates adopted in this Chamber,” she told the UN on Sunday. “The Security Council must use the tools at its disposal to act against those who perpetuate the conflict in eastern DRC, including calling for their withdrawal from the DRC.”
“There must also be a resumption of both the Luanda and Nairobi Processes to find a lasting political solution to the cyclical conflict in the eastern DRC. South Africa commends His Excellency João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of Angola in his capacity as the African Union Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa, for his tireless work on the Luanda Process.”
