Civil war intensifies in Congo: What are the latest developments in the region? Possibility of conflict between Rwanda and the DRC

Suat TEKİN - 12punto FOREIGN NEWS

The civil war that has been ongoing for decades in Congo has intensified once again. M23 defeated the DRC army last Sunday (January 26) in Goma, the largest city in the east of the country. Days before Goma fell, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi had accused Rwanda of supporting M23. Rwandan President Paul Kagame accepted the claim, stating that the DRC was committing ethnic cleansing against Tutsis and that they were fighting against the DRC.

At least 100 people lost their lives and 1,000 were injured in the battle for Goma.

Rwanda, whose population is largely composed of Tutsis, accepted the transfer of foreign soldiers captured by the Congolese Revolutionary Army to its own territory. As M23 expanded its control in Goma, the embassies of the USA, France, Belgium, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Japan were attacked in Kinshasa, the largest city in Congo.

The Congolese Revolutionary Army claimed that the targeting of embassies during the incidents in Kinshasa was organized by the DRC government.

Tshisekedi had threatened Rwanda with war while military tension continued in the DRC. However, the defeat of government-affiliated army forces in Goma led to the rout of the DRC army. As the DRC retreated while suffering losses, the positions of foreign mercenaries were left exposed.

A large number of foreign soldiers were captured by the Congolese Revolutionary Army. It was announced that some soldiers surrendered to avoid engaging in combat.

According to DRC media outlets, clashes are continuing in the northern regions of Goma, including Katoyi, Mabanga, Majengo, Kibwe, and Turunga.

CONGOLESE REVOLUTIONARY ARMY ADVANCES

Bertrand Bisimwa, the head of the political wing of M23, noted in a post on his X social media account that the group's fighters were ''in the process of bringing the last pockets of insecurity in Goma under control.''

Bisimwa included the following statements in his post:

'Our army is working intensively to guarantee full security, complete peace, and absolute tranquility for all our citizens living in the liberated regions.'

Al Jazeera reporter Malcolm Webb shared the following information regarding the current situation in Goma:

'After days of fierce fighting, no gunfire is heard in the city center. The streets are filling up with cars during rush hour. The markets, which are normally bustling, are relatively empty.'

Rwanda's regional ambassador Vincent Karega emphasized in a statement to the AFP news agency that M23 would not stop in Goma, stating the following:

''They (M23) will continue to advance towards South Kivu. Goma cannot be an end in itself. (The war) can only end if a good dialogue and negotiation process begins with the government in Kinshasa, which I doubt, then they might end their advance.''

WILL THE WAR IN AFRICA GROW?

According to Karega, it is possible for M23 fighters to move beyond the east of the DRC because the DRC's 'forces and military capabilities' have been exhausted in Goma. If the Rwandan official's predictions are correct, this could trigger the start of a large-scale war in the region. Although the DRC's army forces are weak, mercenary groups and task forces from other countries are playing an active role in the clashes in the region.

DRC government sources speaking to Reuters reported that M23 fighters were advancing towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, on Wednesday (January 29).

While the US and European countries are calling for a ceasefire in the DRC, some countries, including Belgium, have issued travel warnings for the DRC. The UN has called on Rwanda to stop supporting M23.

On the other hand, Kagame stated the following in his speech at the East African Community (EAC) Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State:

"They displaced people, killed them, and persecuted them every day because of their identities. We have refugees who have been here (in Rwanda) for more than the last two decades, who were exiled from Congo and sent to Rwanda. (Explaining the reason for the exile, the DRC) says, 'These are ethnic Tutsis, therefore they belong to Rwanda, not Congo.'

(For the DRC) they think, 'We have our MONUSCO (UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC), we have our SAMIDRC (South Africa's military force in the DRC), we have our mercenaries, we have Burundi, we have our FDLR (rebel group in Rwanda) joining them, and everyone is just watching what is happening.' And are we acting as if we don't understand what has been happening all these years? And then when events like last week's break out, we act surprised, we worry about the humanitarian crisis. Isn't persecuting, killing, and displacing people part of this humanitarian concern?"

News Source: 12punto