At least 52 people have been killed following intense fighting in the eastern Congolese city of Goma, with both the government and M23 rebels trading blame for the violence.
The clashes broke out late on Saturday in the densely populated Keshero and Lac Vert neighbourhoods. Locals reported heavy gunfire and widespread panic as armed groups exchanged fire into the early hours of Sunday.
Among those killed was a patient at Kyeshero hospital, which is supported by the international medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), according to officials.
Luko Shabani Bihango, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Minister for Security and Interior, accused M23 rebels of launching what he called unprovoked attacks. “These actions are a threat to public safety and regional stability,” he said.
But the M23 dismissed the government’s claims, blaming Congolese armed forces (FARDC) and their local militia allies, the Wazalendo, for starting the fighting. The group’s spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, said their fighters had “repelled” attacks in violation of a ceasefire.
Kanyuka also accused troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission, known as SAMIDRC, of backing Congolese government forces in the assault.
“These attacks undermine the peace process and delay the rehabilitation of Goma International Airport,” he said.
The rebel group said it would now push for the SADC mission’s immediate withdrawal from the country.
Kanyuka also raised concerns over the presence of FARDC troops allegedly sheltering within UN peacekeeping bases in the region. The UN’s MONUSCO mission has faced criticism from multiple sides in the ongoing conflict.
The M23 insurgency resurfaced in 2022, under the leadership of Bertrand Bisimwa and Emmanuel Sultan Makenga. The Congolese government has repeatedly accused neighbouring Rwanda of supporting the group—an allegation both Kigali and the rebels deny.
The M23 claims its movement is aimed at fighting corruption and ethnic discrimination within the Congolese state.
