Relief workers from the Red Cross facilitate evacuation of hundreds of Congolese soldiers, trapped in a city under rebel control, back to the capital.
Title: Hundreds of Soldiers and Police Evacuated from Rebel-held Goma, Congo
Subtitle: An Uneasy Peace in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Swarming the streets of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), hundreds of Congolese soldiers and police officers - along with their families - were being ferried towards the capital. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced the mass evacuation on Wednesday, marking the culmination of a turbulent few months.
Tensions in Goma had escalated since January when the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advanced and seized the strategic city, exacerbating the decades-long conflict in eastern DRC. Amid the chaos, the soldiers and police had huddled at the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) base, waiting for a glimmer of hope.
The operation to transport the displaced personnel to Kinshasa was the result of negotiations involving the Congolese government, the rebels, the UN mission, and the ICRC, who acted as an impartial intermediary. In a statement, the ICRC revealed that upon their arrival in Kinshasa, the groups and their families would be taken in by Congolese authorities.
Myriam Favier, the ICRC chief in Goma, confirmed that the transfer from East to West, a distance of approximately 1,000 miles, would unfold over several days. Meanwhile, the Congo River Alliance - a coalition of rebel groups that includes the M23 - announced they were facilitating the return of 130 Congolese soldiers, a move they described as a humanitarian gesture.
Reactions were swift and profoundly relieved. A soldier, who spoke on condition of anonymity while still in the rebel-controlled area, expressed hope: "We were disarmed because we had no choice, but we hope to reach Kinshasa. As soldiers, we are always ready to defend our homeland. We lost a battle, not the war."
Ongoing violence in eastern DRC has fueled one of the world's most significant humanitarian crises, with over 7 million people displaced. M23 is one of approximately 100 armed groups vying for control in the mineral-rich region, near the border with Rwanda.
Despite a unilateral ceasefire declared by M23 in February, clashes between Congolese armed forces and M23 have persisted. Recent reports from Kaziba in South Kivu province revealed intense fighting between the Congolese army and M23, underscoring the need for a diplomatic solution to end the violence.
The stakes are high, with the UN Human Rights Council launching a commission to investigate atrocities in early 2022, including allegations of rape and summary executions by both sides. Conflict in eastern DRC is estimated to have claimed the lives of 6 million people since the mid-1990s, in the wake of the Rwanda genocide.
As regional powers jockey for influence, the United States has taken on the role of mediator between Rwanda and Congo while also seeking access to critical minerals in the resource-rich region. On Wednesday, Trump's senior adviser for Africa, Massad Boulos, met with representatives from Congo and Rwanda in Doha, Qatar, to address the ongoing crisis.
Looking ahead, negotiating a sustainable peace will be vital to bringing an end to the decades-long stalemate in eastern DRC and providing much-needed relief to the countless civilians caught in the crossfire.
- The evacuation of hundreds of Congolese soldiers and police, along with their families, from Goma, Congo, to Kinshasa was a significant development in the ongoing political and military conflicts in the region, particularly in the context of the general news surrounding the violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
- As the United States steps in as a mediator between Rwanda and Congo, the media worldwide closely follows the ongoing crisis in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, paying close attention to the discussions around finding a sustainable peace to end the decades-long stalemate, which has fueled one of the world's significant humanitarian crises.
