Maj. Gen. Peter Chirimwami, Governor of North Kivu and a career officer in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), was assassinated last evening near Kasengezi by the M23 rebels, allegedly backed by Rwanda. The military general, appointed Governor of North Kivu and commander of military operations in the region on September 17, 2023, was reportedly killed while visiting the frontline.
Lawrence Kanyuka, the spokesperson for the M23 rebel outfit, celebrated the assassination on X, formerly Twitter, mocking the general’s death.
“The FDLR Commander-in-Chief, General Chirimwami, is dead. He was killed in Kasengezi while visiting the front lines to have his photo taken,” Kanyuka posted on his handle @LawrenceKanyuka.
Kanyuka further warned that the capture of Goma, Eastern Congo’s largest city with a population estimated at 1–2 million people, was imminent. Posting in French, he declared, “La population de Goma a beaucoup souffert, comme d’autres Congolais. L’AFC/M23 est en route pour la libérer, et elle doit se préparer à accueillir cette libération. Qu’elle ne craigne rien : l’AFC/M23 vient lui apporter la paix.” This translates to, “The population of Goma has suffered greatly, like other Congolese. The AFC/M23 is on its way to liberate it, and they must prepare to welcome this liberation. Let them fear nothing: the AFC/M23 comes to bring them peace.”
Maj. Gen. Chirimwami was an accomplished military leader, having held several key command positions, including head of the 32nd Infantry Brigade and the 12th Military Region. He also commanded Operation Sokola 1 and later Operation Sokola 2, both aimed at neutralizing the ADF, Mai-Mai groups, and other negative forces in North Kivu.
The assassination occurred as the M23 rebels advanced near Goma, intensifying the conflict in the mineral-rich region of Eastern Congo. The group, sanctioned by the United States and identified as being supported by Rwanda according to a UN Group of Experts, is reportedly making its final push to capture Minova and Sake, key strategic locations near Goma.
Last year however, Rwanda did not deny a UN report saying it had about 4,000 soldiers fighting alongside the M23 in DR Congo.
The M23 insurgency has caused widespread displacement, with over 200,000 people forced from their homes in recent months. The rebels, hungry for Congolese minerals, have left a trail of devastation.
Maj. Gen. Chirimwami’s assassination marks a critical escalation in the ongoing conflict. His governorship of North Kivu had positioned him as a key figure in the fight against the M23 and other armed groups in the region. His death raises questions about the Congolese government’s ability to contain the rebel group, especially as the rebels edge closer to the strategically significant city of Goma.
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