Congo-Rwanda border shut as M23 rebels claim Goma capture
January 27, 2025
The border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) near the besieged city of Goma was closed on Monday, a European consulate source and witnesses said, hours after M23 rebels and Rwandan troops entered the eastern Congolese regional capital. Rwanda has denied involvement despite credible reports from the UN that it was backing the M23 rebels.
"The border is closed," the consulate source told the AFP news agency. "No one is coming in, no one is going out, apart from a few UN staff and their families evacuated this morning," said an aid worker at the main border crossing between the two countries.
The rebels have also shut down the airport in Goma and occupied the state-run radio station, which was playing music. Special UN representative Bintou Keita told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council late Sunday that "we are trapped," with the airport shut down and roads blocked.
Chaos in Goma
On Monday morning, there were reports that thousands of inmates had escaped after the main prison in Goma was breached. Looting and sporadic gunfire could be heard, as residents fled or hid indoors.
Some Congolese military personnel surrendered to UN peacekeeping forces following an ultimatum by M23, while others fled by boat across Lake Kivu to Bukavu. Most of the white mercenaries from Romania and Bulgaria fighting for the army managed to leave Goma at the last minute. Some have handed in their weapons to the UN mission.
The M23 rebels are now inspecting homes and hotels to check if any military personnel are hiding there.
Fears of revenge killings
"I fear a massacre might happen when they come. Where the M23 has already seized the villages, they have killed young men," Paul Buyana told DW a day before the militia took control of Goma. Even more concerning for the 27-year-old Congolese man is his inability to find work, as business owners are too afraid of fighters or looters firing in the city.
Buyana's last job was a week ago, counting crates for a shop owner and recording them on a list. That evening, he was able to eat a full meal.
Vegetables seven times more expensive
Food prices have also skyrocketed. Passy Mubalama, a human rights activist in Goma, said she recently paid 1,000 Congolese francs (about €0.35, $0.36) for a bundle of sombe, a local leafy vegetable. Usually, she would pay just a few cents for the same amount.
Goma is in darkness because fighting has destroyed the main power lines. Only those with generators and the means to afford diesel have electricity and can charge their phones and laptops. Solar lamps now cost around 60,00 Congolese francs.
At these prices, people can no longer afford to stockpile, Mubalama said, though it's necessary in times of war. One never knows how long the shooting will last, he added, and no one can go to the market to buy food in such circumstances.
No end in sight to the suffering
Since January, the war has displaced 400,000 people from their villages. Nearly half of the population of North Kivu now live with host families or in camps.
One of them is Pacifique Maombi. She fled with her four children and husband from the clashes in Sake. She lost nearly everything — her home and her job as a nurse in a health center. But she holds onto something that gives her hope: a savings cooperative.
Maombi leads a group of 30 women at a refugee camp 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Goma. The women contribute small amounts weekly to a communal fund, from which loans are granted to help them start small businesses.
The population's suffering is one thing, but their pride is another. For Zola Lutundula, a teacher who is hosting four families, the worst part is "the humiliation that our army failed to defend the city. This is bad for all of us, for the whole people," Lutundula said.
The M23 rebel group, backed by neighboring Rwanda, is one of about 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich region during the decadeslong conflict. According to Congo's government and United Nations experts, the rebels temporarily took over Goma in 2012 and resurfaced in late 2021, with increasing support from Rwanda. Rwanda has denied such support.
Analysts have warned the latest escalation of hostilities could further destabilize the region, which is already home to one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, with more than 6 million people displaced.
Edited by: Isaac Mugabi