DRC to Mount a Vigorous Military Counter Attack on M23

January 31, 2025

(3 Minutes Read)

The rebels have captured large swathes of the mineral-rich region in recent weeks, including most of the key city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi said on Wednesday night that the army was mounting a “vigorous” military response as Rwanda-backed M23 fighters advanced in the east of the country.

The rebels have captured large swathes of the mineral-rich region in recent weeks, including most of the key city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

Kinshasa, the United Nations, the United States, and other Western powers said Rwandan forces backed up the M23 in Goma. Rwanda has denied this.

Addressing the nation on television for the first time since the M23 entered the city, Tshisekedi said a “vigorous and coordinated response against these terrorists and their sponsors is underway”.

He also condemned the “inaction” of the international community in the face of what he described as an “unprecedented worsening of the security situation”. The United Nations Security Council met for the second time in three days on Tuesday to discuss the escalating crisis in the eastern DRC, calling for the M23 to halt its offensive.