The military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), assisted by United Nations and SADC peacekeepers, and the Wazalendo pro-government militias, prepared a defensive line in northern Goma.

[26][27] The Rwandan-backed rebel group March 23 Movement (M23), as part of their military offensive which has been ongoing since 2022, seized large amounts of territory in both the North and South Kivu provinces throughout January 2025.

[20] The M23 movement, which originated in 2009 from militiamen formerly aligned with the Congolese army,[29] briefly occupied Goma for several days during its 2012 campaign before withdrawing from the city because of international pressure on Rwanda.

[31] In December 2024, the Congolese government also filed a lawsuit in a European court against the company Apple, accusing it of using illegally mined minerals from Congo to make electronics.

[32] Coltan, which is used to make components in smartphones and laptops, is present in large quantities in the eastern DRC, and the conflict there has been described for years as being driven by the desire to secure this resource.

[43] Known as the Luanda process, the Angolan-mediated talks had the support of the European Union and the United States, but a planned summit between Presidents Tshisekedi and Kagame on 15 December, aimed at discussing the neutralization of the FDLR,[41] was canceled after Rwanda's delegation refused to attend.

[44][45][46][47] This refusal raised suspicions that Rwanda's actions in the DRC were motivated more by economic interests, particularly in the Kivu region's mineral wealth, rather than genuine security concerns.

[54] M23 captured Sake, a town and critical road junction west of Goma that connected the city to the rest of country, from the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) on January 23.

[28] The Congolese armed forces (FARDC) set up a defensive line in the northern part of the city and the Birere area, including tanks, and are assisted by Romanian mercenaries and the "Wazalendo" local pro-government militia.

[57] By the evening of January 26, the rebels were reported to have pushed through the Munigi neighborhood, 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the Goma city center, which was defended by the FARDC and foreign peacekeeping forces.

[62] Agence France Press reported that the Congolese army and its allied militias put up "unexpected resistance" against better equipped and trained Rwandan and Rwandan-backed rebel forces, during intense fighting in the city center and western Goma, although some deserted and abandoned their uniforms.

[54] The main hospital in Goma, run by the International Committee of the Red Cross, set up tents in the courtyard to treat more wounded, and all medical facilities were operating at double their capacity.

[85] On January 30, the remaining FARDC and Wazalendo troops that had not surrendered continued to fight against M23 in the northern Goma area, especially in the Turunga village of the Munigi groupement, where heavy and light weapon use was reported.

[82][89] Panic among Bukavu's residents was reported on January 30 amid the news of the rebel advance in South Kivu, while troops departed the FARDC bases there to go to the front line further north.

[90] On January 30, electricity and telecommunications were restored to parts of Goma by M23, which also prepared hundreds of administrators to run the city, and crossings at the nearby Rwandan border were reopened.

[92] On January 31, FARDC major general Evariste Somo took office as governor of North Kivu in a ceremony in Beni, one of the towns in the province that is not controlled by rebels.

Rebel groups, including those backed by Rwanda and Uganda, recruited heavily from the Banyamulenge due to their shared ethnic identity and grievances with the Congolese government.

[36][37][38] In particular, the refusal of Rwandan President Paul Kagame to attend the Luanda Summit in December 2024, which was meant to discuss a plan to neutralize the FDLR, raised suspicions that Rwanda's motivations might be driven more by economic interests than security concerns.

[29] Prior to the capture of Goma by M23 and AFC, the rebel coalition has created a state-like political administration in the territories that they have taken control of, which included police and intelligence services, regulations and taxes for the mining industry, and efforts at ideological indoctrination.

[94] Thousands of soldiers had been deployed to assist the FARDC in South Kivu by Burundi, which has a Hutu-dominated government and previously accused Rwanda of backing a 2015 coup attempt, adding to concern for the potential of a larger regional war.

[88][101] The Africa Center of Strategic Studies noted that Rwanda, the backer of the rebel movement, also has aligned itself more closely with the international community, which could prevent the kind of pressure that it faced in 2012.

[66] On January 30, Deputy Prime Minister for National Defense and Veterans Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita said in a speech addressed to the troops that there will be no negotiations with M23 and called on the army to fulfill its constitutional mission to defend the borders of the country.

[53] Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance that includes M23, claimed on January 27 that their ultimate target is Kinshasa and implied that they want to overthrow the Congolese government.

"[103] After the capture of the city, on January 30 Corneille Nangaa told the press that M23 will administer Goma, facilitate humanitarian aid for the population, and intends to continue its campaign on to the national capital Kinshasa, which is 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) to the west, to "take power and lead the country."

[111] The Congolese demonstrators see Western countries as the main source of foreign aid money to Rwanda and believe that the international community has not taken enough action to pressure the Rwandan government.

[112] The deputy head of MONUSCO, Vivian van de Perre, said on January 28 that the Angolan-mediated peace process needed to be restarted to "avert the looming threat of a third Congo war.

[30] Angolan ceasefire observers stationed in the city were evacuated on January 28 as the situation there deteriorated,[118] prompting the deputy head of MONUSCO, Vivian van de Perre, to state the Angolan-mediated peace process needed to be restarted.

[54] The next day Angolan president João Lourenço called for the "immediate withdrawal" of Rwandan troops from the DRC and offered to host a summit in Angola between the leaders of the two countries.

[53] French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that "France strongly condemns the offensive led by the M23, backed by the Rwandan armed forces" and called for diplomatic talks to resume and a ceasefire between those involved.

[12] A statement by British ambassador James Kariuki stated the United Kingdom was "deeply alarmed by the events in Goma", recognized Rwandan involvement in the offensive, and urged the DRC and Rwanda to return to diplomacy and form a ceasefire as soon as possible without preconditions.