This article was written on February 2nd, 2025.

Arlette Bashizi/Reuters

Young men are shot dead like dogs, innocents are assaulted, and civilians starve this week in the streets of Goma as the conflict between the M23 Movement and the Congolese government rages on. Since January, some 900 people – civilians and soldiers alike – have perished. And yet, despite these atrocities, there may still be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Congolese with a ceasefire having been declared this Tuesday.

Having seized the city and chased off the military forces protecting the region, the M23 called the ceasefire citing humanitarian concerns. With hospitals struggling to cope with the influx of wounded and outside aid being cut off by the M23 rebels, the residents of Goma are pitted in a precarious position.

Although even this ceasefire may be a strategic ploy by the M23 to advance their troops as reports have come out that rebels have already fallen upon and seized the city of Nyabibwe in South Kivu just this last Wednesday. Something that the M23 leader Corneille Nangaa - who is currently wanted internationally for war crimes - vehemently denies.

At the same time, the rebels have also pushed further into Eastern Congo in the hopes of securing the mineral rich region – thanks to the military backing of the Rwandan government. The M23 is one of a hundred-odd groups interested in occupying the region to extract its natural resources. While the M23 claim they are seeking to defend the ethnic Tutsis of the Congo from Hutu-led violence and oppression that is closely linked to the sitting Congolese government.

Stephanie Wangarl/The Standard

Political and religious leaders in Africa have spoke out in vehement opposition to the military occupation of the region by the rebels. At the same time, protests have erupted across the country as allegations have emerged of various atrocities perpetrated by the M23 at Goma. The International Criminal Court’s council is likewise noted to be closely monitoring the conflict. 

And now as the M23 zeroes in on the city of Bukavu in South Kivu, authorities fear that further atrocities may come before the conflict ends. A joint summit of South and Eastern African nations is set to begin this Friday in Tanzania where both Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi will be in attendance. One can only hope it goes well.