Many have since wondered how such a heavily fortified area fell so swiftly, especially with the presence of multiple armed forcesâ€"including a large contingent of FARDC troops, Burundian soldiers, SADC forces, fighters of FDLR terrorist group, Wazalendo militias, and foreign mercenaries.
Among those on the frontlines was Saddam Ukwishaka, who had joined the FDLR as a young boy and once served in its elite CRAP unit. In 2023, he was shot in the leg during a battle against M23 and taken for treatment at a FARDC-run hospital. Once healed, he returned to the battlefield.
Reflecting on the battle for Goma, Ukwishaka described it as one of the most intense and unforgettable fights, noting the tactical sophistication M23 used to claim victory.
'I fought in the battle for Goma at a place called Kilimanyoka,' he said. 'When the gunfire intensified, I told myself: 'If I didn't die here on the battlefield, I won't die in the city either.' I immediately removed my uniform and abandoned my weapon. I decided to return home to Rwanda.'
He added: 'We were stationed in Kilimanyoka under the command of Colonel Gaston. The day Goma was taken was a Sunday. We were caught completely off guardâ€"the enemy had already reached deep into our defensive positions.'
Ukwishaka explained that many soldiers, overwhelmed by the M23 offensive, surrendered or fled in panic.
'That day, it was nearly impossible for anyone to even hold a weapon. Gunfire was erupting from every direction. It felt like the end of the world. Even high-ranking officersâ€"colonels and aboveâ€"after hearing the gunfire at Trois Antenne, said, 'This is not a war we can fight,' and fled.'
Faced with the collapse of their ranks, Ukwishaka decided to return to Rwanda despite fearing possible imprisonment or retaliation for having been part of the FDLR. He is now at Mutobo Demobilization and Reintegration Center, where he and 130 other former combatants are undergoing civic reorientation before rejoining society.
Another former fighter, Tumaine Idrissa, joined the FDLR at 17 and was one of the commanders stationed in Nyiragongo during the conflict. He said that after realizing Goma had fallen, he lost all hope in FDLR leadership's promises of fighting their way into Rwanda and overthrowing the government.
He urged other youth still hiding in the forests of the DRC to return home rather than grow old in the jungle, warning that some FDLR leaders were exploiting the young fighters due to suspicions tied to their own involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/the-day-goma-fell-defectors-reveal-how-m23-broke-resistance-lines
