Rebels claim that only the AFC/M23 can reopen Goma Airport
Kinshasa’s “illusory” declaration of preparations to restore Goma International Airport has been disregarded by the AFC/M23 movement, which maintains that only the rebel authorities, who now control the city, have the authority to determine when operations can restart.
In January, when fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo was at its worst, Goma International Airport was shut down. M23 deemed the facility hazardous at the time, claiming coalition forces with ties to the government were using it to “load bombs that are killing the civilian population.”
The rebels rejected the international community’s later call for the restoration of air operations after AFC/M23 took control of Goma city, claiming that government forces had compromised the airport by abandoning the area after laying explosives and causing damage that made it unsafe to use the runway.
The rebels quickly condemned the government’s announcement that it was getting ready to restore the airport during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, November 13, which was presided over by President Felix Tshisekedi.
Tshisekedi’s command was criticized by the movement’s spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, in a statement issued on Sunday, November 16, for being disconnected from local reality.
Through his official X account, Kanyuka stated, “The Kinshasa regime has neither the legitimacy nor the right to consider reopening airport infrastructure located in liberated territory, which it deliberately plundered and sabotaged.”
“AFC/M23 alone, not President Felix Tshisekedi or any other party, can and will reopen the airport.”
The organization also reaffirmed that despite continuous peace attempts between the rebels and the Congolese government, which are aided by Qatar, fighting is still going on in eastern DR Congo.
Although there hasn’t been much movement on either track, these discussions are anticipated to support the Washington peace effort between Kinshasa and Rwanda. According to the rebels, they are keeping a careful eye on events occurring on the ground.
The statement added, “The AFC/M23 continues to closely monitor troop and military equipment deployments across all front lines, as well as logistical support to mercenaries and the operations of the Kinshasa regime’s coalition forces.”
