The United States has joined international condemnation of Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, who claim to have seized control of Goma, a strategic provincial capital in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The escalating conflict has prompted Kenya’s President William Ruto to announce crisis talks scheduled for Wednesday between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
In a phone call with Tshisekedi on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the M23 assault on Goma and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to respecting the DRC’s sovereignty. The U.S. State Department emphasized the need for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
President Ruto echoed these sentiments, stating that there is no military solution to the conflict and that both Tshisekedi and Kagame have agreed to engage in dialogue. However, the situation on the ground remains volatile.
A senior United Nations official, Bruno Lemarquis, reported that fierce fighting between M23 rebels and Congolese forces continues in Goma, despite the rebels’ claims of control. Speaking from Kinshasa, Lemarquis described the situation as “very fluid and dangerous,” with active combat zones spreading across the city in North Kivu province. The conflict has severely disrupted essential services, including water, electricity, internet, and phone connections, while humanitarian warehouses have been looted.
The M23 rebels, who broke a ceasefire agreement in early January, have launched a large-scale offensive in eastern DRC with alleged support from the Rwandan army. The U.N. reports that the rebels have made significant territorial gains and are now attempting to open a new front in South Kivu province.
The United Nations Security Council, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and other senior officials have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of M23 forces from occupied territories, and the removal of Rwandan troops. They have urged a return to the Luanda mediation process, overseen by Angolan President Joao Lourenco.
Lemarquis also appealed for temporary humanitarian pauses and the establishment of safe corridors to facilitate aid delivery and the evacuation of wounded civilians trapped in combat zones. In response to the crisis, the U.N. has allocated $17 million from its central emergency fund to address urgent humanitarian needs in the DRC.
Meanwhile, nonessential U.N. staff, both foreign and Congolese, are being temporarily evacuated from Goma to Kinshasa or a U.N. base in Entebbe, Uganda, as the conflict shows no signs of abating.
The international community remains watchful as diplomatic efforts intensify to de-escalate the crisis and bring lasting peace to the region.
