The news that the M23 Movement (March 23rd Movement) captured the city of Goma in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on January 28, 2025, caught many by surprise.
DR Congo, a country of more than 100 million people, has experienced decades of violence driven by ethnic tensions and fights over access to land and mineral resources, causing one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
M23 first occupied the city in 2012. After concluding a peace deal with the DRC government in 2013, the group disappeared for a period before reemerging in 2022. It was during this time that M23 once again threatened to capture Goma but were driven away by a combined force of the Congolese Army, UN Peacekeepers, and the FDLR, composed of former Rwandan military personnel responsible for the 1994 Genocide.
What events led to the fall of Goma?
In a long campaign, combatants are constantly seeking a breakthrough to initiate a new phase. The capture of the town of Minova on January 20th may have been the break that M23 desired. Occupying positions in a couple of other towns and in the hills around Minova effectively gave M23 control of Lake Kivu.
The defense of Goma was poorly coordinated. The entities entrusted with defending the city were the Congolese Army (FARDC), Romanian mercenaries, and UN Peacekeepers bolstered by South African troops under the Southern Africa Development Council (SADC). Things unraveled quickly, and within one week, M23 was in control of Goma. FARDC suffered serious losses, several UN Peacekeepers (mostly from South Africa) were killed, and hundreds of Romanians were captured and repatriated to their home country by Rwanda.
The SANDF base at Sake was surrounded and running out of ammunition with little chance of resupply or extraction because the M23 forces were able to easily shoot down resupply helicopters with surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).
The chaos extended beyond Congo. On January 27th, protestors in Kinshasa grew violent, and several embassies, including the United States’, were attacked. This incident weakens the position of President Tshisekedi.
In South Africa, the reaction to the deaths of peacekeepers was mixed. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration remained silent for two days. Reports criticized the South African government for inadequate equipment, particularly the lack of air support. Previously, South Africans used the Rooivalk attack helicopter, but the Rooivalk hasn’t been used in the DRC since 2022 due to incessant attacks on SANDF aircraft. Many question whether its presence could have prevented the fall of Goma. Additional controversy arose when senior leaders of the South African Air Force were seen on a golf outing during the final chaotic days before Goma’s capture.
The international community has called upon Rwanda to cease supporting M23. However, it’s uncertain whether Rwanda and South Africa will come into direct conflict.
The DRC claims the capture of Goma is a “declaration of war” by Rwanda, which has regularly been accused of supporting M23. While Kigali denies these claims, the US, UK, and France pressure Rwanda to stop M23, although it’s unlikely Kigali will comply. Uganda has also been accused of backing the M23 rebels, a claim it rejects.
After Goma’s fall, M23 fighters advanced towards Bukavu and issued statements claiming their goal is to march on Kinshasa. However, as of February 4, the group announced a ceasefire as regional leaders negotiate an unsteady peace.
Nearly 3,000 people have been killed in Goma, according to the United Nations, after days of fierce fighting with the Congolese army.
Congo, the United States, and UN experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, made up of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army over a decade ago. Rwanda denies the claim but acknowledges it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security. President Paul Kagame told CNN that Rwanda would do what’s needed to protect itself.
Since 2022, M23 has waged a renewed rebellion against the Congolese government, occupying a large expanse in North Kivu, which borders Rwanda and Uganda. Goma, the capital of North Kivu, is home to rare minerals, including coltan, crucial for producing phones and computers.
Meanwhile, the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has activated Operation Springbok III in response to the advance of M23 rebels on the North Kivu capital, Goma. The operation, led by UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ Special Representative, Bintou Keita, involves two battalions, a Special Forces platoon, and an artillery battery as part of a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) to counter the offensive.
