M23 rebels claimed control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, after a rapid advance into the city. Congolese authorities disputed that the takeover was complete, saying government troops still held the airport and other strategic locations as gunfire and artillery continued.
Residents reported shooting in several parts of Goma, and videos shared with news organizations appeared to show armed M23 fighters patrolling main streets. The rebels had told Congolese troops to surrender their weapons and directed soldiers toward the central stadium. Radio Okapi, the UN-backed broadcaster, reported that M23 had taken over the local branch of the state broadcaster RTNC.
The battle produced conflicting pictures of control across a city of about two million people. A hospital chaplain told the BBC that rebels held a large part of Goma while government soldiers remained gathered elsewhere. Congolese forces said early Monday that they retained the airport and key sites, but the United Nations said roads around Goma were blocked and the airport could no longer support evacuations or humanitarian operations.
At least 17 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the fighting, according to an AFP toll cited by the BBC. Across the border, a Rwandan military spokesperson said five civilians were killed and 25 seriously wounded in Gisenyi. Congolese and Rwandan forces also exchanged artillery fire across the frontier, according to UN sources cited by Reuters and DW.
Kinshasa accused Rwanda of sending troops into Goma and described the M23 offensive as a declaration of war. Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya urged residents to remain indoors and avoid looting, saying authorities were trying to prevent mass casualties. Rwanda rejected blame for the escalation and said fighting near its border threatened its security. It has denied supporting M23, although DW reported that Kigali acknowledged stationing troops and missile systems in eastern Congo. UN experts have said Rwanda supplied the movement with thousands of troops and significant firepower.
The crisis displaced large numbers of civilians before the rebels reached Goma. The UN refugee agency said more than 400,000 people had fled their homes in North and South Kivu since the beginning of 2025. Power and water were reportedly cut in parts of the city, while thousands of inmates escaped from Munzenze prison after a fire at the facility.
International pressure mounted as the offensive unfolded. The UN Security Council demanded that M23 stop advancing and called for external forces to withdraw, without naming Rwanda in its statement. UN Secretary-General António Guterres separately called on Rwanda to leave Congolese territory. Kenyan President William Ruto said Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame had agreed to attend an emergency regional summit on Wednesday. The contested situation inside Goma and the cross-border fire left the immediate military outcome unresolved while increasing the risk of a wider regional confrontation.
