The United Nations Security Services has demanded that M23 rebel forces halt a continuous offensive and advance towards Goma, the largest city in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, adding that “external forces” withdraw immediately.
Speaking on Sunday, January 26, 2025, the council stated its demands hours after the Rwandan-backed M23 stated that they had seized Goma following a light advance that made thousands flee, fuelling concerns of regional war. Reuters alone could not ascertain if Goma was fully or partially under rebel control.
The U.N Security Council, which consists of 15 members, convened earlier on Sunday to discuss the crisis and then promptly agreed on a lengthy statement urging Rwanda and the DRC to address issues involving the presence of Rwanda Defence Forces in the eastern Congo and Congolese support for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and foster peace.
M23 has vowed to protect Tutsi interests, particularly against ethnic Hutu militias such as the FDLR, which was formed by Hutus who fled Rwanda after the 1994 genocide that killed more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
During a council meeting on Sunday, the United States, France, and Britain condemned Rwanda for allegedly supporting the M23 rebel advance, a claim Kigali has consistently denied. The Security Council issued a statement condemning the “ongoing flagrant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC, including the unauthorised presence in the Eastern DRC of external forces.”
While the statement did not directly name the external forces, it demanded their “immediate withdrawal.”
Acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Dorothy Shea, specifically accused Rwanda of engaging in GPS jamming and spoofing to support M23 operations, a concern also highlighted in the council’s statement. “The members of the Security Council are also deeply alarmed by continued occurrences of GPS jamming and spoofing activities in support of M23 operations in North Kivu, which represent imminent risk to civil aviation safety and negatively impact the delivery of humanitarian assistance to populations in need,” the statement read.
