Brussels 27.01.2025 The rebel group M23 they has taken control of the city of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However the DRC government indicates to the ongoing fighting in the streets. Meanwhile DRC’s Foreign minister accused neighbouring Rwanda of declaring war by sending its troops over the border to support the M23.

(Image: Kivu lake)

Goma residents shared videos of M23 rebels patrolling main streets following a rapid advance against the Congolese army during the weekend, that caused tens of thousands of people fleeing the area.

In a statement, (see above) the M23 group said the liberation of the city has been successfully carried out, and the situation was under control. 

The rebels had ordered the DRC government soldiers to surrender by 03:00 on Monday (01:00 GMT) and 100 Congolese soldiers had handed their weapons in the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO),

MONUSCO staff and their families were evacuating across the border to Rwanda on Monday morning, where 10 buses were waiting to pick them up.

The Eastern part of the DRC is opulent in Coltan (Columbite-Tantalite), a rare metallic ore used for the production of electronic goods of military industries, space industries, aviation, and mass consumption, such as mobile phones, laptops and videogame consoles, whose increasing demands have fuelled the largest conflict in modern African history. This gluttonous lust for new technologies has been fueling the coltan conflict crisis, and led to the contemporary escalation of violence, causing suffering of civilians, inhabiting the area of the precious metals mining.