Russia Condemns M23 Rebel Actions in DR Congo, Calls for Immediate Withdrawal – UN Envoy

By Anastasios Gordon Sekandi – updated at 00:45 EAT Thursday 30 January 2025

M23 Rebels pulling out of Kibumba town. Courtesy Photo.

UNITED NATIONS, January 29. /HICGI/ – Russia has strongly condemned the actions of the M23 armed group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of militants from occupied territories, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya stated.

“Russia strongly condemns the actions of M23,” Nebenzya said during a UN Security Council meeting. “We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of this illegal armed group from all towns, villages, and territories it has seized.”

Nebenzya also urged external actors to cease supporting M23 and withdraw any military units aiding the rebels. He emphasized the urgent need to resume the Luanda negotiation process, warning that the escalating violence could spiral into a broader regional conflict.

“The situation in North Kivu, already dire, is turning into a full-scale humanitarian disaster,” he said, stressing the importance of restarting Angola-mediated talks between Rwanda and the DRC.

“Russia, for its part, will take all possible steps, including within the [UN Security] Council, to de-escalate the crisis and restore prospects for a diplomatic resolution in pursuit of stability in eastern DRC,” he added.

M23 Advances in Goma Amid Resistance

M23 units, reportedly backed by Rwandan forces, entered Goma on January 26. According to Le Monde, the rebels now control significant portions of the city, though pockets of resistance remain, particularly near Goma International Airport.

Background of the Conflict

The conflict in the DRC has persisted for decades, with deep-rooted ethnic and political tensions. Following the 1994 Rwandan genocide, remnants of the defeated Rwandan government army—primarily Hutu forces—fled into Zaire (now the DRC), where they clashed with local Tutsi communities, the Banyamulenge. As the Tutsi-led government took power in Rwanda, it supported the Banyamulenge, who later allied with Congolese separatists and deserters from the Congolese army to form the M23 group in 2012.

Since renewed hostilities erupted in January 2021, M23 rebels have seized multiple cities and over 100 villages in North Kivu province, exacerbating instability and humanitarian suffering in the region.