M23 Defends Raid on Hospitals in Goma city
By Spurb Ernest
Kanyuka argues that the M23 fighters did not raid but conducted a peaceful operation against 130 Armed Forces of Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) soldiers who were hiding in hospitals.
The March 23 Movement (M23) have defended accusations against them of raiding hospitals in Goma city, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
On Monday, Vivian Van De Perre, the Deputy Special Representative for Protection and Operations in United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) released a report accusing M23 of raiding CBA Ndosho and Heal Africa hospitals in Goma city in the night hours of February 28, 2025 and abducting patients admitted there.
According to Perre, 116 patients were abducted from CBCA Hospital and 15 others from Heal Africa. Perre said that it is deeply distressing for M23 to snatch patients from hospital beds in coordinated raids and hold them incommunicado in undisclosed locations. She called for their immediate release and return to hospitals so that they could continue receiving treatment.
She also called for prompt and concrete steps to ensure an end to such arbitrary and abusive raids. She argued that under international humanitarian law, which must be respected by all parties in the ongoing conflict, the wounded and sick must be able to receive the medical care and attention they need, and hospitals must be respected and protected in all circumstances, including by refraining from interference with their functioning.
On Wednesday, M23 rebels, through their political spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, released a statement describing Perre’s concerns as unfounded and deliberate manipulation aimed at tarnishing the movement’s image.
Kanyuka argues that the M23 fighters did not raid but conducted a peaceful operation against 130 Armed Forces of Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) soldiers who were hiding in hospitals. Kanyuka says that the aim was to secure medical facilities which had been infiltrated by what he described as rogue combatants masquerading as feigned patients.
He also says that the operation was conducted with the consent of the heads of the affected medial units and was initiated following numerous security reports documenting crimes committed by the FARDC soldiers against locals including rape and theft.
Kanyuka reminded Perre that M23 had not attacked the hospitals before. Kanyuka also accuses MONUSCO of remaining silent about tragic events that occurred at the centre Munzenze prison where women were subjected to rape, murder and cells set on fire two days before m23 captured Goma city. He also urged MONUSCO to reject any erroneous and malicious interpretation of the facts and be careful against manipulation by the Kinshasa government.
M23 captured Goma city in January and have since advanced and captured more positions on the southern front, including Goma International Airport, Kavumu airport and Bukavu city in South Kivu province.
Since the resumption of the M23 insurgency in 2022, led by Bertrand Bisimwa and Emmanuel Sultan Makenga, the DRC government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting M23, a claim that both Rwanda and M23 deny. The rebels assert that their fight is against corruption, xenophobia and discrimination within the DR Congo’s leadership.
