"January 2025 is deeply etched in the collective memory of Goma residents. Late that month, the capital of the eastern Congolese province of North Kivu fell to the AFC-M23 rebel alliance after heavy fighting. One year later, the city is trying to recover but the scars of violence remain. Trauma, loss, and economic hardship continue to shape the daily lives of around 900,000 inhabitants there."
"The eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been one of the most unstable regions in Africa for decades. Armed groups, ethnic tensions, regional power interests, and the struggle for valuable raw materials all compete. The M23 rebellion is part of this complex conflict. Already active in 2012, the group was eventually crushed militarily, but regained strength in 2021."
In January 2025 M23 rebel forces seized Goma after heavy fighting, taking the city swiftly and surprising government troops, local militias, and UN peacekeepers. The capture produced days of terror, widespread disruption of services, and immediate economic collapse in the city. The eastern DRC remains unstable due to armed groups, ethnic tensions, regional interests, and the fight over raw materials. M23 first emerged in 2012, was defeated, then re-emerged in 2021 and expanded control across large parts of North Kivu. Accusations of Rwandan support for M23 have been made, while Kigali denies involvement.
Read at www.dw.com
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