Heavy fighting erupts in eastern DRC’s Goma

Gunfire shook Goma overnight as fighting flared between M23 rebels and pro-government forces.

Heavy gunfire and artillery fire rocked the western neighborhoods of Goma in eastern DRC overnight, with residents reporting blasts into the early morning hours.

Local media said the fighting involved M23 rebels, who have controlled Goma since January, along with armed factions believed to be linked to the pro-government Wazalendo militias and the DRC armed forces (FARDC).

The casualty toll from the clashes remains unclear. A government statement reported 52 deaths in and around Goma, though the figure could not be independently confirmed.

Since seizing Goma, the M23 has set up a parallel administration in North Kivu’s provincial capital. Hostilities continue to erupt across the province, a volatile hotspot in eastern DRC’s prolonged conflict.

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