January 27, 2026 marks exactly one year since the AFC/M23 rebel movement took control of Goma, the largest city in eastern DR Congo and the capital of North Kivu province. The fall of Goma followed weeks of heavy fighting as the rebels closed in on the strategic city on the border with Rwanda. For the Congolese army (FARDC) and its allies, the FDLR genocidal group, Burundian troops, South Africa-led SADC forces, European mercenaries and the Wazalendo militia, losing their major stronghold to AFC/M23 was not just humiliating. ALSO READ: Timeline of events before and after M23 entered Goma It marked a turning point in the war that had started in late 2021, when the rebel movement resurfaced. In less than three weeks, the rebels also took control of Bukavu, the second largest city and capital of South Kivu. The Congolese government under President Felix Tshisekedi was later compelled to meet at the negotiations table with the rebels it had evaded for over three years. It was not the first time that Goma, a lakeside city of about two million people, had fallen into the hands of the M23 rebels. In 2013, the rebels held it for about 10 days, before pulling out and going into exile in Uganda and Rwanda. The rebel movement resurfaced in November 2021, after failed negotiations with the Tshisekedi administration. The fall of Goma followed major blows on the government side: the death of North Kivu military governor, Peter Cirimwami, the capture of Sake town, the fall of Rumangabo barracks, among other territorial losses in North Kivu. In this article, The New Times looks back at the major events that have followed the fall of Goma and how these have shaped the rebellion led by DR Congo's former election chief Corneille Nangaa and longtime rebel leader Gen Sultani Makenga. January 27, 2025: Goma falls AFC/M23 rebels capture Goma after a rapid advance, against the government coalition. They secure the city, begin patrols, call for calm, and urged FARDC coalition forces to surrender. January 29, 2025: Mercenaries surrender No sporadic gunfire could be heard around Goma and AFC/M23 fighters are seen manning the Congolese side of the Rwanda-DR Congo border. Nearly 300 European mercenaries, mostly from Romanian contractors, surrender after Goma's fall. They are shown publicly at the Rwandan border checkpoint in Rubavu (Goma border crossing), processed by Rwanda National Police, including body searches and documentation, escorted for safe passage through Rwanda, and repatriated to Europe. Early February 2025 AFC/M23 consolidates control in Goma and surrounding areas. Residents report improved security as the rebels implement administrative measures. February 14, 2025: Capture of Kavumu airport The rebels claim the capture of Kavumu airport, just less than 30 kilometres north of Bukavu city. The fall of the airport after days of fighting clears the path to Bukavu, the remaining key stronghold of the government coalition after the Goma humiliation. February 16, 2025 AFC/M23 captures Bukavu, another city on the Rwandan border, marking major southward expansion and control over key economic and border hubs. Government forces and the provincial administration flee to Uvira, some 120 kilometres from Bukavu. March 1, 2025 AFC/M23 hands over captured FDLR Brig Gen Jean Baptiste Ezechiel Gakwerere and other fighters to Rwandan authorities at Rubavu border, a significant blow to Kinshasa-backed FDLR. Gakwerere is linked to the murder of Rwanda's last queen Rosalie Gicanda, who was killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. March 16, 2025 The first attempt at Angola-mediated direct talks between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 fails as the latter accuse Kinshasa of repeated attacks and cite European Union sanctions on its members as major factors jeopardising peace efforts. March 25, 2025: Appointment of six facilitators As the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) join efforts to end the conflict in eastern DR Congo, Heads of State from the two blocs appoint six facilitators. In addition to former Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo and Ethiopia's former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who had been announced in late February, the EAC-SADC joint summit of March 24 appoints three more facilitators. Former Presidents Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa, Catherine Samba Panza of the Central African Republic and Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia join the African Union-backed panel. April 18, 2025: Beginning of Doha talks The first direct negotiations between the Congolese government and AFC/M23 commence in Doha, Qatar, launching formal dialogue on ceasefire and peace. April 25, 2025: Declaration of Principles signed by Rwanda, DR Congo Peace efforts begin to bear fruits as the Rwandan and Congolese governments sign the Declaration of Principles in Washington DC under US mediation. Key elements of the document signed by Foreign Ministers Olivier Nduhungirehe of Rwanda and Therese Kayikwamba Wagner of DR Congo include the neutralisation plan for the FDLR, ending Kinshasa's support to the militia and of lifting of Rwanda's defensive measures. April 29, 2025: SADC forces withdraw SAMIDRC, the military mission from SADC, begins phased withdrawal from eastern DR Congo on April 29, continuing through June. ALSO READ: DR Congo: Exiting SADC troops pass through Rwanda The troops from South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania and their equipment are granted safe passage through Rwanda on their way home. The Rwanda Defence Force escorts them from Rubavu through to Rusumo border in Kirehe District as they enter Tanzania. June 27, 2025: Washington Peace Agreement signed Rwanda and DR Congo sign the Washington Peace Agreement, building on the Declaration of Principles, with commitments to FDLR neutralization, de-escalation, and ceasefire monitoring. July 19, 2025: Declaration of Principles signed in Doha As peace talks in Doha advance, the Congolese government and AFC/M23 sign the Declaration of Principles on July 19, laying the foundation for a comprehensive deal. October 14, 2025: Agreement on ceasefire monitoring In Doha, the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 rebels sign a formal agreement to set up a joint ceasefire monitor team. The signing of the Ceasefire Oversight and Verification Mechanism marks a step toward enforcing the long-awaited ceasefire, raising hopes for an end to years of armed conflict. November 15, 2025: Doha peace framework signed The Congolese government and the AFC/M23 sign a peace framework agreement in Doha, outlining eight protocols for negotiations toward a full peace deal. December 4, 2025: Washington Agreement signed The US-mediated talks between Rwanda and DR Congo reach a major milestone, with the signing of the long-awaited Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity. Witnessed by US President Donald Trump, the accords signed by President Paul Kagame and his counterpart Felix Tshisekedi reaffirm prior agreements on peace, economic ties, and regional prosperity. December 2, 2025: Fighting over Kamanyola town In renewed hostilities, the Congolese government coalition backed up by the Burundian army launches airstrikes on the border town of Kamanyola, which had been under AFC/M23 control since February. The rebels say the airstrikes are launched from Burundian territory in Bujumbura Province. December 10, 2025: AFC/M23 captures Uvira After eight days of heavy fighting that started in Kamanyola, the AFC/M23 announce the capture of Uvira, the third major city to fall after Goma and Bukavu. In a swift offensive, the rebels gain strategic economic control, securing port access to Lake Tanganyika and blocking Burundi's access to Uvira. December 15, 2025: AFC/M23 announce withdrawal from Uvira The AFC/M23 announce that they will withdraw from Uvira as a confidence-building gesture to support Doha talks. However, the rebels later urge the United Nations to consider the deployment of a neutral force to protect civilians from the abuses of by government forces and their allied Burundian troops, FDLR and Wazalendo militia. December 22, 2025: Protests against Uvira withdrawal Thousands of residents of Goma took to streets to protest the planned withdrawal from Uvira, as they raised concerns about the potential return of the FARDC and Wazalendo militias. Similar protests are reported in other parts of eastern DR Congo, including Uvira. January 17-18, 2025: Complete withdrawal from Uvira The AFC/M23 movement announces withdrawal of its Observation and Monitoring Unit from Uvira on January 17. Post-withdrawal vacuum in Uvira leads to looting, violence, and instability after the return of the FARDC and Wazalendo militia. Attacks on Banyamulenge civilians, churches and public buildings are reported. Some 300 Banyamulenge families flee to Kamanyola amid the violence in Uvira. January 27, 2026: Stalemate in talks remains Until late January 2026, the stalemate in Doha talks continues, with the rebels accusing the Tshisekedi government of dodging negotiations by attempting to launch another peace process in Luanda, Angola. This is as clashes are reported in some parts of North Kivu.
