AFC/M23 repels Wazalendo attack on Goma
The AFC/M23 coalition has successfully repelled an attack by the Wazalendo militia, a group supported by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government, which targeted the western outskirts of Goma.
During the night of July 21 to 22, 2025, Wazalendo fighters, believed to have emerged from Virunga National Park, launched coordinated assaults on Mugunga and the Rusayo grouping area. Residents reported intense gunfire lasting up to three hours as AFC/M23 forces engaged the attackers to protect Goma’s security.
People living in neighbourhoods such as Ndosho and Kyeshero could hear heavy gunfire and feared the clashes would spread into their communities. However, by dawn, AFC/M23 had successfully pushed back the Wazalendo fighters, restoring calm in the city’s west.
AFC/M23 has controlled Goma since January 2025. On July 22, Manzi Willy, the governor of North Kivu province appointed by AFC/M23, assured residents that their security forces remained vigilant.
“Our security forces are tirelessly dismantling every threat against the peace of our people,” Manzi stated. He added that when AFC/M23 took control of Goma, many weapons, ammunition, bombs, and other dangerous items had been hidden among civilians by fleeing forces, but their operations continue to uncover such threats daily.
Following the overnight clashes, AFC/M23 forces regained full control of two strategic locations – Luke and Katobotobo
