On Sunday, January 26, members of the Rwandan Defense Forces (FDR) and the rebel movement March 23 Movement (M23) entered Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Within 48 hours, they had taken control of the city, which is home to around one million inhabitants and almost as many displaced persons. In the blink of an eye, the DRC's state apparatus in Goma collapsed. The Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), their auxiliary militias and the private military companies hired by the state were quickly swept away.

A few days before this offensive, the capture of Goma seemed improbable. Many believed that the city was too big for the rebels to take and hold. In military terms, the M23 and RDF – estimated at around 8,000 men according to United Nations (UN) sources – were no match for several thousand Congolese soldiers concentrated in a small area. In their path were some 10,000 FARDC soldiers stationed in Goma, as well as several thousand foreign troops – blue helmets from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), South African contingents deployed by the Southern African Development Community and two private military companies. In addition, the Congolese patriotic movements, grouped within the "wazalendo" militias, were armed by the government.

Many also believed that Corneille Nangaa's Congo River Alliance, the political wing of the Congolese rebellion, lacked the popular support needed to establish itself. No celebrations accompanied its arrival. The population watched and waited, uncertain as to who really represented this "new regime," now charged with ensuring security and keeping the city running.

No barriers held

Above all, many believed that neighboring Rwanda would not risk blowing the cover it had carefully maintained since the beginning of the offensive. The provisional human toll of such an operation – several hundred dead – would tarnish the image of a country that successfully presents itself as a tourist destination and an attractive economic environment for investors.

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