M23 rebels expand their control of Goma in eastern Congo

Goma in turmoil as M23 rebels seize control, prompting international calls for ceasefire and peace talks.

Rwanda-backed rebels captured large parts of Goma, the biggest city in eastern Congo, including its airport, the United Nations said, as Rwanda’s President on Wednesday (January 29, 2025) joined calls for a ceasefire in the decades-long conflict amid mounting international pressure.

Much of Goma was calm after a day during which thousands of fleeing people hunkered down by roadsides as missiles flew overhead, and injured people streamed to overwhelmed hospitals.

While government forces still control pockets of Goma, residents who spoke to The Associated Press by phone on Tuesday (January 28, 2025) said that the M23 rebel group was in control of much of the city.

The M23 rebels, who said that they captured the city on Monday (January 27, 2025) after a weekslong advance, are one of about 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo. The conflict escalated with the rebels’ advance into Goma, which left bodies on the streets and drove hundreds of thousands of already displaced people to flee once again.

After clashing with government forces, the rebels took control of the airport, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a briefing on Tuesday (January 28, 2025), warning of “risks of a breakdown of law and order in the city given the proliferation of weapons.”

Rwandan President Paul Kagame said on X that he spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on “the need to ensure a ceasefire and address the root causes of the conflict once and for all.”

His government denies supporting M23, despite reports from U.N. experts who estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo. Rwanda has accused Congo of enlisting Hutu rebels and former militiamen whom it blames for the 1994 genocide.