With AFC/M23 rebels moving closer to Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) issued a statement on Friday, January 24, saying it continues to support the Congolese army (FARDC) in their efforts "to stop the territorial expansion” of the rebels in the vast province.

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The statement says MONUSCO heavy artillery carried out fire missions against M23 rebel positions in Sake, a town less than 30 kilometers from Goma, and repositioned UN forces to strategic locations to reinforce its deployment in and around Goma.

Peacekeepers wounded

The rebels captured Sake, a day earlier, on Thursday. MONUSCO’S statement also came a day after the rebels killed Maj Gen Peter Chirimwami, the military governor of North Kivu Province. Chirimwami on Thursday reportedly travelled to locations near Sake where the rebels engaged in battle with the government army coalition.

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The MONUSCO statement added: "The Mission has also conducted joint day and night patrols with FARDC and supported the deployment of Congolese forces’ heavy artillery and attack helicopters destroying M23 equipment.

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"MONUSCO’s Quick Reaction Forces (QRF) have also been actively engaged in intense combat, demonstrating resilience and professionalism. During these confrontations in Sake, five peacekeepers were wounded this Friday while four suffered minor injuries yesterday, Thursday. The nine wounded peacekeepers are currently receiving medical treatment.”

The M23 rebel group, which is part of the larger Congo River Alliance (AFC), has previously captured swathes of territory in North Kivu Province in a military conflict that has raged since late 2021.

‘Refrain from intervening in war imposed upon us’

The rebels earlier this week said that their appeal to the blue helmets and troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc "to refrain from intervening in the war imposed upon us by the forces of the coalition of the Kinshasa regime has not been respected by the aforementioned parties.”

As such, the rebels firmly reiterated that "any involvement, collaboration, direct or indirect support in the ongoing conflict by these two forces of UN and SADC, will compel” them to exercise their "full rights to legitimate self-defense.”

The Congolese government coalition comprises FDLR, a militia linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, troops from the Southern African Development Community, Burundian soldiers, European mercenaries and a host of local Congolese militia groups.

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The FDLR is a UN-sanctioned terrorist group founded by remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide.

One of the more than 200 militia groups wrecking havoc in eastern DR Congo, the genocidal militia has launched attacks on Rwandan territory over the past two decades. It is accused of spreading hate speech, genocide ideology and persecuting the Congolese Tutsi and Banyamulenge communities in DR Congo.

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In a statement on January 24, the rebels said: "The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) fully acknowledges the intolerable suffering endured by the people of Goma. We have heard their call for liberation and peace. Consequently, we urge the Congolese population to remain calm and prepare to welcome AFC/M23, which is resolutely committed to bringing peace and stability to the region. We are advancing to liberate our compatriots in Goma and to restore security and dignity to the Congolese people.”

Among others, earlier, on January 22, the rebels had urged SADC mission’s forces and MONUSCO "to disassociate themselves from the coalition of negative forces that threaten peace and stability in the region.”

Tensions between the Congolese army and the M23 began in November 2021, after the rebel group had spent nearly a decade without fighting.

The rebels accuse the Congolese army of cooperating with militias such FDLR, which have persecuted Congolese Tutsi communities and destabilized eastern DR Congo for nearly 30 years.

Various regional peace initiatives have failed to bring an end to the conflict which has affected relations between Rwanda and DR Congo, with Kinshasa accusing Kigali of supporting the rebels. The Rwandan government dismisses the allegations, and warns about the collaboration between the Congolese army and FDLR, which is a threat to Rwanda's security.

Eastern DR Congo which is home to more than 200 local and foreign armed groups has been volatile for about three decades.