GOMA, Congo — The M23 rebel group, which has recently overtaken a significant city in eastern Congo, held a rally on Thursday to reassure the local population of their safety and stability under their governance. The gathering took place at the city stadium as part of the rebels’ efforts to garner public support amid increasing international scrutiny.
At the rally, Corneille Nangaa, the political leader of the M23, addressed a crowd of thousands, proclaiming that Goma has been “liberated and sanitized” following its capture with assistance from around 4,000 Rwandan troops. He assured attendees, “I ask you to sleep well because we bring you security; this is our priority.” Nangaa also announced upcoming plans for normalcy, stating that children would return to school the following week and urging displaced residents to head back to their homes.
The M23 is deemed the most formidable of over 100 armed groups operating in eastern Congo, an area rich in resources vital to global technology. Unlike their 2012 incursion when they briefly seized Goma, experts believe the current strategy of the M23 points toward a desire for political control and an ability to govern effectively.
Although the rebels declared a ceasefire after their recent conquest, stating they had ceased territorial expansion, they captured another town on Wednesday amidst their ongoing military activities in resource-abundant regions. The Congolese government has dismissed the ceasefire as insincere, while reports from the United Nations indicate ongoing clashes between the rebels and Congolese forces in various locations across the east.
Humanitarian organizations have raised alarms about the safety of displaced individuals in Goma, which previously functioned as a critical aid center for the over six million people impacted by conflict in the region. Attendees at the rally expressed mixed feelings about the situation; Emmanuel Kakule, a 26-year-old Goma local stated, “I came to listen to their project. I don’t know if I’m convinced. … We’re still afraid,” underscoring the uncertainty many residents feel.
In addition, Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has announced that he has instructed the commander of the nation’s peacekeepers in eastern Congo to initiate preparations for a withdrawal. Malawian forces form part of a regional peacekeeping contingent supporting Congolese military efforts in the area, with casualties including at least three Malawian and 14 South African soldiers during ongoing conflicts. Chakwera noted that this withdrawal aligns with the rebels’ declared ceasefire and is aimed at facilitating peace negotiations, though he did not specify a timeline for the Malawian troops’ exit.
