Jan 31st (Prime Africa) – In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, seized control of the strategically significant city of Goma this week. Despite calls from world powers for an immediate withdrawal, the insurgents seem determined to assert their authority by restoring order and governance within the city.
Power and mobile data services, which had been cut off for days, were swiftly restored on Thursday, signaling the rebels’ intent to re-establish control. The border with Rwanda, a vital lifeline for Goma, was reopened, and M23 officials claimed they had trained hundreds of local administrators to deploy.
Corneille Nangaa, head of the political coalition supporting M23, urged the residents of Goma to return to normalcy, just two days after intense fighting left bodies in the streets and severed the city’s connections to the outside world. He promised to reopen schools within 48 hours and establish a humanitarian corridor to allow displaced people to return home.
How M23 manages to maintain order and provide essential services in Goma—a bustling city of 2 million people—will be pivotal in determining the group’s ability to expand further into eastern Congo or face a rapid downfall, as seen in 2012. With the city’s international airport and role as a humanitarian hub, Goma represents a crucial test for the insurgents’ governance ambitions.
The situation is reminiscent of the regional turmoil of the late 1990s and 2000s when Rwanda and Uganda, along with their proxy forces, controlled Congo’s eastern borderlands, managing trade and vital services. Experts have noted that members of the RCD-Goma, a Rwanda-backed group from the 1998-2003 war, are involved with M23.
In the years since their resurgence, M23 has established “parallel administrations” in the areas they control, imposing taxes on civilians and businesses, and expanding their intelligence networks. However, Goma’s population size and international significance make it a far greater challenge.
As tensions rise, the world watches closely to see if M23 can solidify its grip on Goma or if international pressure will force them into another retreat, further deepening the instability in the region.
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