A massive jailbreak unfolded early Monday in the besieged city of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after fighters from the M23 armed group, backed by Rwandan troops, entered the city, Nigeria’s “Channels” Television reported through AFP.
The prison, which housed approximately 3,000 inmates, was “completely torched,” leading to numerous casualties, although specific numbers remain undisclosed. Escaping prisoners flooded the streets, as reported by an AFP journalist.
The chaotic events followed a night of heavy gunfire and explosions in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, home to over a million residents and an equally large number of internally displaced people.
Mounting International Pressure
Recent armed conflict in eastern DRC has killed 13 foreign soldiers, including three UN peacekeepers, and forced over 400,000 people to flee their homes.
The violence pits government forces against the M23 rebel group, which Rwanda reportedly supports UN sources claim. Fighting has intensified in the town of Sake and surrounding areas near Goma, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Among the victims were two South African soldiers and one Uruguayan from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Seven additional South African soldiers and three from Malawi, serving under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional force, also died in the conflict.
MONUSCO, with approximately 15,000 troops, reported that one of its elite units actively engaged in intense combat against M23 fighters. Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) disclosed that ongoing violence has forcibly displaced more than 400,000 people in eastern Congo since the start of 2025, with the total number of displaced people in North and South Kivu now exceeding 4.6 million.
As violence escalates, international leaders are scrambling to address the crisis. Kenyan President William Ruto announced that DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame had agreed to attend a summit organized by the East African Community (EAC) within the next two days to discuss the conflict.
The UN Security Council issued a statement urging the withdrawal of “external forces” but avoided directly naming Rwanda. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Rwanda to cease support for the M23 and withdraw its forces, a plea that Rwanda rejected.
Calls to Address the Crisis
As violence escalates, international leaders are scrambling to address the crisis. Kenyan President William Ruto announced that DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame had agreed to attend a summit organized by the East African Community (EAC) within the next two days to discuss the conflict.
The United Nations Security Council issued a statement urging the withdrawal of “external forces” but avoided directly naming Rwanda. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the M23 to halt its offensive, withdraw from occupied territories, and honor the July 31, 2024, ceasefire agreement.
The African Union echoed these concerns, calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions. Similarly, the European Union issued a statement urging the M23 to cease its advance and demanding Rwanda immediately withdraw its forces. All 27 EU member states signed the declaration.
M23 and Rwanda’s Role
The M23, supported by thousands of Rwandan soldiers, has launched rapid advances against Congolese troops defending Goma. The DRC has accused Rwanda of orchestrating a “frontal assault” on its sovereignty. During an emergency UN Security Council meeting, Congolese Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner condemned the presence of up to 1,000 newly deployed Rwandan soldiers near Goma as an “open declaration of war.”
Rwanda, however, insists that its actions are defensive, citing threats to its border security. Rwanda’s foreign ministry reiterated its stance, asserting that the fighting near the border requires a “sustained defensive posture.”
The resurgence of violence has deepened the humanitarian crisis in Goma and the surrounding regions.
Diplomatic relations between the DRC and Rwanda have further deteriorated, with both nations withdrawing their ambassadors.
The UN and other observers have accused Rwanda of leveraging the M23 to exploit the DRC’s vast mineral wealth, an allegation Rwanda denies. Meanwhile, calls for targeted sanctions against Rwandan officials have intensified.
A History of Unrest
Goma briefly fell to the M23 in 2012 before the group withdrew under a peace deal. Although the M23 was defeated militarily in 2013, it resurfaced years later. Several ceasefires and truces, including the most recent in July 2024, have failed to be upheld.
The conflict has also taken a toll on peacekeeping forces. On January 25, three countries reported the deaths of 13 soldiers serving in the region, including nine South Africans, three Malawians, and one Uruguayan.
Residents of Goma bear the brunt of a lengthy conflict driven by regional rivalries, resource exploitation, and ethnic divides while the city is still under siege. The next steps in resolving this deeply ingrained conflict may depend on the outcome of the next EAC conference.