DR Congo gov’t condemns massacre of 52 civilians allegedly committed by M23 rebels
The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Saturday strongly condemned the killing of 52 civilians during the night from Friday to Saturday in the eastern city of Goma, allegedly perpetrated by rebels from the March 23 Movement (M23).
In an official statement signed by Vice Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Jacquemain Shabani, the DRC government accused M23 of committing grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the country’s eastern region.
Violent clashes reportedly erupted Friday night in the western part of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, according to multiple local sources.
Eyewitnesses from the Keshero and Lac-Vert neighborhoods told Xinhua that intense gunfire and shelling began around 10:00 p.m. local time (2000 GMT), sparking widespread panic among residents. A relative calm returned by Saturday morning.
According to several local media outlets, the fighting involved M23 rebels—who have controlled Goma since January—and armed elements from the Wazalendo self-defense militias alongside the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC).
In a statement broadcast by the Goma branch of Congolese National Radio and Television, M23 accused the FARDC-Wazalendo coalition of launching coordinated attacks on several of their positions overnight.
Since taking control of Goma in late January, M23 has reportedly set up its own administrative structures in the city, while clashes persist in other strategic parts of North Kivu.
According to the United Nations, nearly 1 million people including around 400,000 children—have been displaced across North and South Kivu provinces since late January 2025 due to escalating conflict between the FARDC and various armed groups.
