DR Congo: M23 Rebels Hold Goma and Bukavu as Peace Talks Yield Fragile Progress

Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo remains firmly under the control of M23 rebels despite a nominal peace framework signed in Qatar in late 2025, with tens of thousands of civilians trapped between advancing militant groups and a stretched government army.

Goma, the capital of North Kivu province and home to nearly 800,000 people, has been in M23 hands since January 2025. The Tutsi-led rebel group, which the United Nations and the Congolese government say is backed by Rwanda, controls the city alongside nearby Bukavu in South Kivu. Despite a November 2025 framework agreement brokered in Doha, fighting has continued — the guns have never truly fallen silent.

The Numbers Behind the Crisis

The UN refugee agency UNHCR reports that more than 400,000 people have been displaced in the eastern Congo region since the current M23 offensive began in early 2022. Whole villages have been emptied. Farmers have abandoned their fields. Markets have shuttered. Goma, once a commercial hub for the Great Lakes region, now operates under de facto rebel administration.

Human rights groups have documented widespread atrocities. The BBC and other international media have reported killings, mass rapes, and the forced recruitment of children by both M23 fighters and government-aligned militias. The cruelty has touched virtually every community in the affected territories.

The Rwanda Question

For years, Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of orchestrating the M23 rebellion. Kigali denies direct involvement, though UN experts have consistently documented the presence of Rwandan troops inside Congolese territory. In February 2026, the UN Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) acknowledged “some progress” in Doha-hosted peace talks but warned that military momentum on the ground remained with the rebels.

Rwanda’s continued support for the M23 is widely seen as part of a broader geopolitical strategy. Rwanda is an ally of the West in some contexts — notably anti-jihadi operations — and yet has long sought to shape the eastern Congo in its favour, analysts say. The mineral wealth of the region, including coltan, cobalt, and gold, adds a stark economic dimension to the conflict.

A Stretched Army and Fractured Response

The Congolese army, known by its French acronym FARDC, has struggled to regain momentum. Soldiers have complained publicly about poor pay, inadequate equipment, and a lack of clear command. Several senior officers have been dismissed or arrested over alleged failures. Meanwhile, ethnic militias known as Watalinga and other local defence groups have at times filled the vacuum, sometimes clashing with each other as much as with M23.

Regional efforts through the East African Community (EAC) and the African Union have produced little tangible relief on the ground. A proposed joint force has been delayed by political disagreements over command and funding.

Civilians Caught in the Crossfire

For ordinary Congolese, the conflict is a daily emergency. Schools have been destroyed. Health clinics looted. The UN World Food Programme has warned of famine conditions in several districts around Goma. Women and children make up the overwhelming majority of those displaced.

“We have nowhere to go,” a teacher from the Rutshuru territory told the BBC in February. “When we flee, there is nothing to flee to. The fields are burned. The roads are closed. We are just waiting.”

International NGOs operating in the region have repeatedly called for expanded humanitarian corridors and stronger protection mandates for MONUSCO peacekeepers. But with the UN mission facing budget pressures and shifting global priorities, reinforcements are not expected.

As Pope Leo XIV tours Africa calling for peace, the people of eastern Congo remain caught in a conflict that shows no sign of ending. The M23 controls the cities. The government controls the headlines. And the people control nothing but their own desperate survival.