The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Monusco) has launched ‘Operation Springbok’ alongside the Congolese army to prevent M23 rebels from capturing the eastern town of Goma.
“Our main aim is to stop any M23 ambitions to conquer Sake or Goma,” General Otavio Rodrigues de Miranda Filho, Monusco’s Brazilian force commander, said at a press conference on Friday in Goma.
“Monusco has always stood by us as a cherished partner,” commented Lieutenant-Colonel Guillaume Ndjike, spokesperson for the military governor of North-Kivu Province, which includes both Goma, the provincial capital, and Sake.
Monusco, which has been present in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 1999, has drawn criticism from Congolese, who accuse the UN mission of failing to end violence by armed groups, particularly the M23.
In fact, earlier this year, the government in Kinshasa has requested its rapid withdrawal from the DRC from December.
The M23, also known as the March 23 Movement and allegedly backed by Rwanda, resumed military activities nearly two years ago, capturing vast areas in North-Kivu.
Following a six-month period of relative calm, violent clashes resumed in early October between rebels, the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) and other armed groups portraying themselves as “patriots,” triggering massive population displacements.
The conflict with M23 has displaced nearly one million people in North-Kivu, the UN estimates.
General Miranda Filho expressed deep worry about the serious escalation in the conflict over the past month. The conflict, he said, poses a significant threat to humanitarian aid access and displaced persons, many of whom have taken refuge in sites around Goma.
The M23 is currently advancing south towards Sake, a town that is essential to the defence of Goma, he continued.
Monusco has pledged to collaborate with the FARDC to “protect civilians from armed rebel groups,” that is why “today, Monusco’s military staff and the FARDC have launched Operation Springbok,” General Miranda Filho stated.
“Our troops are deployed throughout the region and if M23 ever approached these towns, Monusco and the FARDC would protect the civilian population,” he assured, adding “We will work together and, together, we are stronger than any armed group.”
