M23 Rebels Advance, Threaten DRC’s Goma City

The insurgency in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s east, led by the M23 rebel group, has grown more intense in the early months of 2025.

The group has expanded its control over more territory, making significant gains, and is now threatening to capture Goma, the region’s largest city. This escalation has raised alarm within the international community, with the United Nations warning that the conflict could spiral into something even worse similar to the devastating wars of the late 1990s and early 2000s that took millions of lives across Africa’s Great Lakes region.

M23 is a group of ethnic Tutsi-led rebels, named after the March 23, 2009, agreement that ended a previous rebellion. The group took up arms again in 2022, accusing the Congolese government of not honoring the terms of the earlier peace deal. Specifically, they argue that Congolese Tutsis haven’t been fully integrated into the army and administration as promised. Beyond this, M23 claims it’s defending Tutsi interests in a region where Hutu militias like the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) have caused instability. The FDLR is composed of Hutus who fled to Congo after the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

In the first months of 2025, M23 has captured even more territory, including key areas close to Goma. As the fighting intensifies, more people are fleeing their homes, adding to the growing number of displaced Congolese. The humanitarian crisis is deepening as civilians struggle to find safety amid the violence.

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For over a year now, M23 has controlled the rich mining area of Rubaya, which produces coltan—a mineral essential for manufacturing smartphones and other electronics. Through taxes on coltan production, M23 has been able to generate an estimated $800,000 per month. With its expanding control over new regions, the group could gain access to more mining sites and increase its revenue, fueling its military efforts.

The growing power of M23 and its financial gains through mining have raised concerns about further destabilizing the region. The situation in eastern DRC is a stark reminder of how fragile peace remains in the country, especially in the aftermath of decades of conflict. If the insurgency continues to spread, it could lead to a much larger and more destructive war, further affecting the lives of millions of Congolese citizens and potentially destabilizing the entire region once again.