Hundreds of Congolese soldiers, government-allied militia members, and police officers were seen crammed into trucks under the watchful guard of M23 rebels in Goma early Thursday.
According to M23, the troops had surrendered and were being transported to an undisclosed location, where they would be integrated into the rebel group.
“We are sending them to training centers to educate them on the role of the military, after which they will become full-fledged members of the revolution,” stated Corneille Nangaa, a political leader of M23.
He further mentioned that those unwilling to continue fighting would be allowed to return to civilian life, though some had chosen to join the rebel movement.
Two men waiting to board the trucks, identifying themselves as Congolese soldiers, told a journalist that they had surrendered and had no alternative but to align with the insurgents.
The Rwanda-backed militia has tightened its grip on Goma since seizing the city on Sunday.
On Thursday, the rebels declared their intention to extend their offensive toward the distant capital, Kinshasa.
This statement came shortly after Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi called for a large-scale military mobilization to counter the rebellion.
Meanwhile, the United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator in the DRC reported that essential services in Goma have largely been disrupted.
The city serves as a crucial humanitarian hub, supporting over six million people displaced by the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo.
UN experts estimate that M23 receives backing from approximately 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda—significantly more than in 2012 when the group first took control of Goma.
M23 is one of more than 100 armed factions competing for dominance in the DRC’s resource-rich east.
The region contains vast mineral reserves, valued at an estimated $24 trillion, which are essential to the global electronics industry, including the production of mobile phones and laptops.