Regional Security & Peacebuilding

Congo Conflict Escalates: M23 Rebel Parade in Goma and Army Reinforcements Threaten Fragile Peace

The Congolese army has reinforced its positions in North Kivu as clashes with M23 rebels intensify. Ceasefire violations reported this week signal that diplomatic efforts are faltering. Human rights groups warn of mass displacement and abuses against civilians if the fighting escalates.

Published

5 days ago

September 19, 2025

Charles Wachira

On September 18, 2025, the M23 rebel group staged a striking parade in Goma, displaying thousands of new recruits. The show of force raised alarms over forced recruitment and the collapse of fragile peace talks. Residents fear renewed fighting could plunge eastern Congo deeper into crisis.

Despite regional leaders’ push for peace, Congo’s eastern war shows no signs of easing. M23 rebels’ military parade and army counter-mobilizations have reignited tensions. The UN warns that millions are already displaced and humanitarian needs are growing by the day.

On Sept. 18, 2025, M23 rebels paraded recruits in Goma as Congo’s army fortified positions, exposing the collapse of fragile peace efforts.

Congo Conflict Escalates: M23 Rebel Parade in Goma and Army Reinforcements Threaten Fragile Peace

Kinshasa, Sept. 19, 2025 — The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is sliding deeper into conflict after dramatic scenes this week revealed the fragility of peace efforts in the east.

On Thursday, September 18, 2025, thousands of newly recruited M23 fighters marched through the streets of Goma, North Kivu’s capital. The military parade, reported by the Associated Press, stunned residents and alarmed global observers. Many recruits looked underage, with some carrying wooden rifles — sparking fears of forced conscription and child soldiering.

Almost at the same time, Reuters confirmed that Congo’s national army was also strengthening its frontline positions. Both sides are now entrenched, undermining international mediation that had raised hopes earlier this year.

Peace Talks Faltering

The roots of the latest escalation date back to January 2025, when M23 rebels captured two major towns in North Kivu — their biggest advance in more than a decade. Washington and Doha quickly launched peace talks. Preliminary deals were signed in April and updated in July 2025.

But deadlines passed in August without progress. Rebels refused to withdraw unless political concessions were granted. President Félix Tshisekedi’s government rejected those demands outright, calling them unacceptable.

“Broken promises, fragile implementation and deep mistrust are holding back any progress,” said Kristof Titeca, a conflict studies professor at the University of Antwerp, in remarks to Reuters on Sept. 18, 2025.

The Parade in Goma

Thursday’s parade was meant to show M23’s strength. Instead, it exposed the weakness of the peace process.

Witnesses said thousands of fighters, many of them teenagers, marched in step through Goma’s streets. Some wore mismatched uniforms, others held sticks instead of rifles.

“The spectacle was designed to project power, but it reminded us of our vulnerability,” a local teacher told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Human rights groups were quick to condemn the show of force. Amnesty International warned that the use of child soldiers “undermines fragile peace efforts and violates international law.”

Humanitarian Toll Rising

The human cost of the conflict keeps growing. The United Nations estimates that 2.7 million people have been displaced since the M23 resurgence in early 2025.

Camps around Goma, Bukavu, and Beni are overflowing. Aid groups warn of food shortages, lack of medicine, and looming disease outbreaks.

“The humanitarian situation is deteriorating by the day,” said a UNHCR spokesperson on Sept. 16, 2025. “Every escalation between the army and M23 creates new waves of displacement.”

Rwanda’s Shadow

Regional politics fuel the crisis. Congo accuses Rwanda of backing M23 to plunder minerals such as coltan and cobalt, critical for global electronics. Rwanda denies this, claiming its actions target the FDLR, a militia linked to the 1994 genocide.

In July 2025, U.S. mediators tried to broker a side deal between Kinshasa and Kigali. By September, little progress had been made, and mistrust deepened.

Trump’s Claim vs. Reality

Former U.S. President Donald Trump added confusion when, on Sept. 12, 2025, he declared the Congo war “over.” He credited American diplomacy and hinted at future U.S. investment in Congo’s minerals.

On the ground, the opposite is happening. “The war is not over — it is intensifying,” said a civil society leader in Goma on Sept. 18, 2025. “We see soldiers, not peacekeepers. We see children in uniform, not classrooms.”

Global Stakes

Congo’s minerals are central to the global economy. The country holds more than 70% of the world’s cobalt reserves, a key component for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy technologies.

A report by the International Crisis Group on Sept. 10, 2025, warned that instability in eastern Congo could undermine global climate goals, as battery supply chains depend heavily on Congolese output.

A Vicious Cycle

Despite UN missions, African Union pressure, and U.S.–Qatar mediation, Congo remains trapped in cycles of violence. Kinshasa refuses to give up territory. M23 refuses to retreat without guarantees.

Civilians are caught in the middle. In Kanyaruchinya camp outside Goma, a displaced woman told AP on Sept. 18, 2025: “Every parade, every new gun, means another month before we can return home.”

Conclusion

The events of mid-September 2025 — the rebel parade, army reinforcements, and missed deadlines — mark a sobering setback for peace in eastern Congo.

Unless urgent progress is made, analysts fear the DRC could slide into its bloodiest conflict since the early 2000s. For now, peace is not just fragile — it is slipping away.