M23’s Liberation of Goma, Congo: African Victory in the Age of Neocolonialism

At the end of last month, M23, a Congolese resistance, liberated Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This was not merely a military victory; it was a profound moment of African defiance against foreign intervention. The images and videos that followed—of African soldiers disarming and arraigning white mercenaries—went viral, capturing the world’s attention. In one particularly striking clip, M23 spokesman Major Willy warns a column of mercenaries, “Don’t joke with M23,” a statement that has since become a defining symbol of their triumph.

Currently, Western media is on a sprint condemning M23, framing them as aggressors in an attempt to distort the narrative and at the same time, try to diminish their military gains by claiming Rwandan involvement. But as Africans, we must look beyond these reactions to grasp the deeper significance of this moment. The liberation of Goma is not just a victory for M23; it is a powerful symbol of African resistance to external domination. That is the reason why Western media is scrambling to downplay the significance of this victory – why they are silent about the white mercenaries captured by M23, while instead focusing on blaming M23 and neighboring Rwanda.

In the coming weeks, Western media and propagandists—using even their media satellites in Africa—will do everything in their power to undermine the importance of M23’s victory. They will attempt to rewrite history, portraying this M23 victory as insignificant or illegitimate. Our responsibility as Africans is to ensure that the liberation of Goma does not become a mere footnote in history, as foreign interventionists would prefer. Instead, it must serve as a catalyst for local resistance struggles across the continent—a rallying cry against foreign actors and their domestic puppets, who continue to exploit and destabilize our nations.

A Global Legacy of Resistance

The liberation of Goma evokes other historic moments of resistance against foreign occupation in Africa. In 1896, Ethiopian forces under Emperor Menelik II defeated Italian colonizers at the Battle of Adwa, a victory that shattered the myth of European invincibility and inspired anti-colonial movements across Africa. Similarly, in 1954, the Vietnamese people, led by Ho Chi Minh, achieved a stunning victory over French colonial forces at Dien Bien Phu. This triumph not only ended French colonial rule in Indochina but also galvanized liberation movements across Asia and Africa.

These victories—whether in Adwa or Dien Bien Phu—were not just military or political achievements; they were symbolic blows against the structures of colonialism and imperialism.

The M23 victory in Goma carries the same weight. It is a reminder of Africa long history of resisting external control. The disarming of white mercenaries by African soldiers is a powerful image that evokes the spirit of Adwa and Dien Bien Phu. It is a declaration that Africa will no longer be a playground for foreign powers and their proxies.

Western Media erasure of African Agency

The capture of Goma has been met with a predictable response from Western media and institutions. Rather than celebrating the triumph of African resistance, they have sought to downplay its significance. It took nearly 48 hours for Western outlets to report on the event, and when they did, they focused on deflecting attention from M23’s achievement. The narrative shifted to accusations against Rwanda, with claims that it armed and commanded M23 forces. This coordinated effort to shift blame is an obvious reluctance to acknowledge African agency and the reality of Western-trained mercenaries being routed by African soldiers.

The captured mercenaries—all of them white—became a focal point of this deflection. Media outlets like the BBC attempted to portray them as “retired, untrained, desperate Romanians,” framing them as harmless individuals rather than the trained military professionals they are. This deliberate misrepresentation seeks to diminish the symbolic power of the M23 victory. It is part of a broader pattern of Western media erasing African victories and perpetuating the myth of African inferiority and dependency.

This narrative manipulation is not new. During the Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962), French media often depicted Algerian fighters as terrorists, obscuring the legitimacy of their struggle for freedom. Similarly, during the Vietnam War, Western media framed the Viet Cong as aggressors, ignoring the colonial history that fueled the conflict. The same tactics are now being used to discredit M23’s victory in Goma, blaming, blackmailing and accusing them of being everything bad.

The Legacy of Neocolonialism in the DRC

To fully grasp the significance of M23’s victory, one must understand the broader context of Western involvement in the DRC. The country has long been a battleground for foreign powers seeking to exploit its vast natural resources, from cobalt and coltan to diamonds and gold. The legacy of King Leopold II’s brutal colonization of the Congo continues to haunt the nation, as Western multinational corporations and governments perpetuate instability to maintain access to these resources.

M23’s struggle is rooted in both local grievances and external intervention. For decades, foreign mercenaries—often acting in collusion with puppet leaders in Kinshasa—have facilitated the plunder of Congolese resources by Western entities, including multinational corporations and even UN agencies. These actors have treated the DRC as a resource-rich playground rather than a sovereign nation. M23’s victory in Goma is therefore not just a military success; it is a reclamation of African sovereignty and a rejection of the neocolonial system that has exploited the DRC for centuries.

The African Responsibility: Learning from History

The liberation of Goma is a call to action for all Africans. It is our responsibility to ensure that the significance of this moment is not lost in the noise of Western narratives. We must document, share, and celebrate this victory as a symbol of African resilience and self-determination. Just as the Battle of Adwa inspired generations of Africans to resist colonialism, the liberation of Goma has the potential to galvanize a new wave of resistance against neocolonialism.

The lessons of history are clear. From Adwa to Dien Bien Phu, the struggle for self-determination has always been met with resistance from those who benefit from the status quo. But history also shows that these struggles can succeed. M23’s liberation of Goma is a reminder that Africa’s future lies in the hands of its people, not in the boardrooms of Western corporations or the corridors of foreign governments.

Conclusion: A New Chapter in African Resistance

The liberation of Goma is more than a military victory; it is a symbolic triumph that resonates with the global history of anti-colonial resistance. It is a moment that recalls the bravery of Ethiopian soldiers at Adwa and the determination of Vietnamese fighters at Dien Bien Phu. It is a reminder that the struggle for self-determination was, and still is, one that Africans must embrace without fear.

As Africans, we must defend M23. The liberation of Goma is not just M23’s victory; it is Africa’s victory. In future, when the full extent of Western looting of the DRC is revealed—possibly as egregious as, or even worse than, the exploitation during the Leopold era—, and Africa is free of foreign intervention, the Battle of Goma will be remembered as the catalyst. It will be spoken of in the same breath as the Battle of Adwa. But for that future to materialize, Africans must continue to raise their voices, amplify this M23 victory, and ensure that its significance is not buried under the deflection of western media and organizations.

Larmbert Ebitu

Pan African

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