The M23 militia, funded and directed by Rwanda, said it had seized the city of Goma, terrifying its people, many of whom sought shelter there after fleeing the rebel advance.
Caleb Kabanda and Ruth Maclean
Caleb Kabanda reported from Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ruth Maclean from Dakar, Senegal.
A rebel militia backed by Rwanda on Monday announced the capture of the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a major victory for the group and one of the most significant escalations in the conflict between the two countries in years.
The militia, known as M23, briefly occupied Goma once before, in 2012, then was defeated and lay dormant for almost a decade. Now it has come roaring back, aiming to occupy the region for the long term and exploit its valuable rare minerals, with the backing of several thousand Rwandan troops who are in Congo, according to United Nations experts.
This time, M23 appears to be in a stronger position to keep hold of Goma, a city made up mainly of people who left their homes in terror and will now have to live under the rule of one of the armed groups they fled.
A spokesman for M23 announced the “liberation of the city of Goma” in a post on X, saying Congolese military personnel had to hand over their arms to the U.N. and assemble in a stadium before 3 a.m.
France acknowledged that Goma had been captured by M23, according to three Western diplomatic and humanitarian sources.
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