The M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo have said they will march on Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, on Monday, January 27, if government forces (FARDC) do not lay down their weapons.
The rebels said the Goma airspace had been closed on Sunday after the government coalition used the airport for military purposes.
M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka also said activities on Lake Kivu had been suspended.
“The FARDC must hand over all their weapons and equipment to MONUSCO [the UN mission],” Kanyuka said on Sunday night, adding that a 48-hour ultimatum the rebels had given to government forces elapsed.
“All soldiers must report to the Unity Stadium before 3:00 a.m. [on Monday]. After this deadline, we will proceed to occupy the city of Goma.”
The war between a government coalition and the M23 has been going on since 2021.
The coalition of the Congolese army includes the genocidal FDLR militia, Wazalendo group, 10,000 Burundian forces, 1,600 European mercenaries, and South Africa-led SADC forces.
The conflict escalated this week after the rebels captured new territory, followed by the killing of North Kivu’s Military Governor Peter Cirimwami and the threat to march on Goma city.
The government coalition has since suffered more losses, including the deaths of the FDLR top commander ‘Maj Gen’ Pacifique Ntawunguka, aka Omega, and soldiers of the South Africa-led SADC mission and the UN mission.
In recent weeks, the M23 captured the towns of Minova and Masisi.
M23 seized Goma in 2012 and controlled it for over a week, before its fighters were defeated and fled, only to resurface in late 2021.
The rebels demand direct peace talks with the Congolese, which has ruled any possibility of coming to the negotiation table with a group it calls a terrorist movement.
Regional initiatives have failed to end the war politically, with the Congolese government pursuing a military solution
