Fierce fighting between Congolese forces and M23 rebels reached the city of Goma over the weekend, marking the most significant escalation in the area since the rebel group captured parts of the city earlier this year. Local residents reported intense gunfire and explosions that shook the eastern Congolese city before dawn on Saturday.
A statement from the Congolese government late Saturday said at least 52 people had been killed in and around Goma. The figure, however, could not be independently verified.
“We were asleep when the gunshots started. It wasn’t just rifles—we heard what sounded like rocket launchers,” one resident told our reporter. After the fighting subsided, the resident said they saw several wounded individuals and three apparent M23 fighters lying dead.
The government directly blamed the M23 rebel group for the outbreak of violence. However, M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma claimed via social media that “calm reigns” in Goma following what he called a provocation by the national army and allied Wazalendo militia forces.
Wazalendo, a pro-government armed group, confirmed its involvement in the fighting. Its leader, Jules Mulumba, told reporters that the militia had responded to earlier attacks allegedly carried out by M23. A Congolese army general also pointed to Wazalendo as the source of the weekend’s confrontation.
The latest clashes come amid ongoing accusations that Rwanda is supporting the Tutsi-led M23 movement with weapons and troops—a claim backed by the United Nations and several Western governments. Kigali continues to reject the allegations, stating that its military presence near the border is a response to threats posed by Congolese forces and a Rwandan militia based in eastern Congo with roots in the 1994 genocide.
With the conflict intensifying, both sides have dispatched representatives to Doha, where Qatar is expected to mediate potential peace talks aimed at securing a ceasefire.
M23’s rapid territorial advances in recent months have deepened the humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo. Thousands have been killed, hundreds of thousands displaced, and vast stretches of mineral-rich land—abundant in gold, tin, and coltan—have fallen under rebel control.
As efforts toward a political solution continue, communities in Goma and beyond remain caught in the crossfire of a conflict that shows little sign of slowing.