The rebel "March 23 Movement" (M23) has described French President Emmanuel Macron's statement about the imminent resumption of operations at Goma Airport in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as "untimely." The airport was closed following the city's capture by rebels. This is stated in a communiqué published on the social network X.
"The AFC (Alliance of the Congo River coalition of rebel groups) / M23 (...) considers France's call to reopen Goma International Airport untimely. We believe any such actions should only be undertaken within the framework of the ongoing negotiations in Doha, which are being mediated by Qatar with the support of the United States and the African Union (AU)," the statement reads.
The rebels added that "all internally displaced persons have already returned to their homes," claiming that therefore "there is no humanitarian crisis in the liberated areas."
"France is strongly advised to exercise caution in its conduct, decisions, and positions, so as not to inadvertently awaken memories of the heavy and tragic past among the peoples of the Great Lakes region," the communiqué emphasizes.
On October 30, during a conference in Paris addressing the situation in the Great Lakes region of Africa, Macron announced that Goma Airport would reopen for humanitarian flights "in the coming weeks." He noted that this step would be implemented "in full respect of the sovereignty of the DRC" and would allow for the "resumption of humanitarian flights without delay." According to AFP, the meeting succeeded in raising over 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) in international aid for the region.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe expressed skepticism about the possibility of Goma Airport reopening soon.
"Paris cannot reopen the airport because the main stakeholders are absent [from the Paris conference]," Nduhungirehe added, as reported by AFP.
Earlier in October, M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa stated that aircraft of the DRC government forces had attacked targets in the towns of Mpeti and Buhaya, despite the ceasefire. The report of the ceasefire violation came just days after the DRC government and the coalition of rebel groups, the Alliance of the Congo River (AFC) and M23, signed an agreement to establish a mechanism for monitoring compliance with the ceasefire. The monitoring group includes Qatar, the United States, and the African Union as observers.
The creation of the mechanism was stipulated by the Declaration of Principles signed in Doha on July 19. It envisages a ceasefire in the conflict zone in eastern DRC, the restoration of state authority in the region, and the start of direct negotiations between the central government and the AFC/M23 coalition to reach a comprehensive peace agreement.
In early 2025, M23 rebels intensified their activities in eastern DRC. Authorities reported that they had captured key cities in the North and South Kivu provinces and alleged Rwandan support for the rebels—a claim that Kigali denies.
Evgeniya Mylnikova
