The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) heard this week “a parallel administration” seemingly set up by the Congo River Alliance (CRA) is running Goma following the M23 (Mouvement du 23 Mars) takeover of the North Kivu capital late last month.

This was one of the points made by Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and MONUSCO Head, in another UNSC briefing on specifically the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission has been deployed since December 2023 with a peace enforcement mandate.

SAMIDRC initially comprised troops and equipment from Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania with the Malawian contingent set to exit on an as yet unspecified date. The withdrawal was made public in a government statement which noted President Lazarus Chakwera ordered the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) to “begin preparations for the withdrawal of Malawian troops… to honour the declaration of a ceasefire by the warring parties there and to pave way for their planned negotiations towards a lasting peace”.

In New York, Bintou told the Security Council (SC) M23 prevented MONUSCO resupplying SAMIDRC troops and “has taken control of all roads entering and leaving the area”.

Additionally, M23 listed as a CRA member, now controls Kavuma airport and Bukavu as of 16 February and took Kamanyola town two days later.

CRA is termed a political/military coalition comprising 17 political parties, two political groupings and “several armed groups”. Named are M23, PARECO (Coalition of Congolese Patriotic Resistance in English), Kyahanda, FPDC (People’s Front for Democracy in Congo), Twirwaneho, FRPI (Patriotic Resistance Force of Ituri), Chini ya Kilima and Zaire-FPAC (Ituri Self-defence Popular Front in English).

DRC Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Co-operation and Francophonie Thérèse Wagner told the SC more than four thousand people died in Goma in 48 hours during the M23 takeover, saying further the North Kivu capital was “taken hostage” while the world body “observes but does nothing”.

She also pointed out Rwanda’s presence in DRC “is no longer a matter of debate” adding “the conflict is a political project, spearheaded by Rwanda through M23 and the Armed Forces of the Republic of the Congo and to topple her government” according to a UN report of the SC meeting.

• A Tell report