The long-anticipated relocation of defeated Congolese soldiers who had taken refuge at a UN base in M23-controlled Goma, eastern DR Congo, has officially commenced, with around 130 troops departing the city early this morning.
“The first group of 130 soldiers left at 5:19 a.m.,” a source at Goma Airport told Kigali Daily News on Wednesday, April 30. These troops are part of a larger contingent of over 1,000 FARDC soldiers who sought protection at a MONUSCO base after the M23 seized control of Goma in late January.
The operation is being coordinated by the Red Cross, in collaboration with representatives from AFC/M23, the Kinshasa government, and MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo.
The convoy is reportedly heading north and will leave M23-held territory through Lubero, eventually making its way to Kinshasa, the capital of the conflict-stricken country.
This transfer had been delayed at least twice in recent months, raising concerns about rising tensions in the region.
The development follows the withdrawal of SAMIDRC forces—part of the pro-Kinshasa SADC regional coalition—who also began leaving Goma just a day earlier, after failing to prevent the city’s fall to M23 rebels in January.
Unlike the SADC forces, the FARDC troops are leaving without their weapons, which were confiscated by the AFC/M23. Before the relocation, a joint screening was conducted by M23 representatives to identify the surrendered soldiers and their armaments inside the MONUSCO camp.
Thousands of other FARDC troops and allied militias have also surrendered, with many reportedly opting to join the M23 ranks.
