M23 Rebels Announce Ceasefire in Goma for Humanitarian Reasons

The Congo River Alliance, a coalition of rebel factions in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo announced a humanitarian ceasefire that will take effect on Tuesday. The group which includes the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels cited “humanitarian reasons” for the decision after gaining territory in the area.

The U.N. reported that at least 900 people have been killed and 2,880 injured in the recent violence surrounding Goma, the largest city in eastern DR Congo that is now under rebel control. The G7 countries and the EU have denounced the offensive as a flagrant violation of DR Congo’s sovereignty.

Despite earlier statements, they said they have no intention of expanding their territory and will stay where they are. The alliance stressed in their statement that they are committed to protecting their own areas and the civilian population.

Over the past three years, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced due to ongoing regional hostilities. According to the UN refugee agency, more than 400,000 people have been forced from their homes since the start of 2025.

Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda and head of the Rwanda Defence Force said he didn’t know if Rwandan forces were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “There are many things I don’t know. But if you want to ask me, is there a problem in Congo that concerns Rwanda? And that Rwanda would do anything to protect itself? I’d say 100%,” he told CNN on Monday.