At least 2,100 Congolese government soldiers and 700 policemen yesterday surrendered to the rebel group M23, as the rebel offensive approached Sake Town about 30 kilometres south of Goma.
The rebel fighters threatened to march on to the capital, Kinshasa, after capturing Goma the provincial capital of North Kivu, Tuesday.
During a public meeting in Goma yesterday, the movement's spokesman, Col. Jean Marie Vianney Kazarama said that they were determined to topple President Joseph Kabila.
He urged more armed personnel who are still in the hiding to join the force as it advances to Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, and later Kinshasa.
"You have worked without any remuneration for very long, this should be the right time for you to join us," Kazarama told the defecting soldiers who were among thousands of residents who turned up for the meeting.
M23 was established in April this year by former officers within the Congolese armed forces, who mutinied against the national army after the government reneged on 2009 agreement with the CNDP rebel group.
"Do you want us to march to Kinshasa?" he asked, and the crowd shouted back in unison: "Yes."
Kazarama said "the journey to liberate DR Congo has started now".
The situation in Goma is currently calm and business is back to normal.
At the same occasion, over 300 residents joined the force and Kazarama disclosed that they would be trained at a military base in one of the captured areas.
Most soldiers who joined the rebel group said that they were tired of the mistreatment by the government.
"I have hope that we shall get a better living because the government does not care about its forces," a defecting soldier who identified himself as Jean Muhindo said.
By press time yesterday over 100 guns which were abandoned by FARDC soldiers who fled to Bukavu had been recovered and other military hardware.
The armed forces who defected to the rebel force after getting persuaded were immediately integrated into the rebel rank and file.
Media reports show that in Kisangani, the offices of the ruling party have been burnt down by protesters angered by the government's and UN's inability to protect them from the rebels.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council yesterday adopted unanimously a resolution condemning the rebel seizure of Goma and calling for sanctions against M23 leaders.
The Presidents of Rwanda, Uganda and DRC- meeting in Kampala - have demanded the immediate withdrawal of M23 rebels from Goma and a halt to the offensive and threats to extend the rebellion to other parts of the DRC.
According to a joint statement by the three Heads of State, DRC's President Joseph Kabila, agreed to look into the grievances of the rebels.
"The Government of the DRC on its part has made a commitment to look expeditiously into the causes of discontent and address them as best as it can," the statement read adding that M23 had been notified.
Comments Post a comment
" WHAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE IN AFRICA IS THE WEST STILL BELIEVING THAT IT IS THIS GREAT IMPERIALIST MIGHT THAT HAS THESE BUFFON LEADERS WHO ARE ALLIGNED TO THEM UINRESERVEDLY!!!? THEY HAVE NO SWAY WITH THE PEOPLE". THEY ARE A CANCEROUS BUNCH WHO EATS OFF THE PEOPLE GIVING THEM NO HOPE NO UPLIFTMENT AND NO DESIRE TO REMAIN LOYAL". WHERE IS THIS NATION GOING FOR DONKEYS YEARS? THERE HAS BEEN A UNITED NATIONS OCCUPYING FORCE MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO, REASSURING THE MULTINATIONALS THAT THERE EXTRACTIONS OF MINERALS ARE ON TARGET'/ THE PEOPLE ARE ILL PAID ,THERE IS NO GREAT EDUCATION PROGRAMS THERE IS NO HEALTH CARE PER POPULATION, THERE IS JUST WESTERN COLONIALISM"". "WETERN COLONIALISM IS THE SAME IN EVERY PART OF THE BLACK WORLD THERE IS NO NEED TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE BLACK WORLD WHEN YOU LOOK AT' THE ENSLAVERS MENTALITY". WHAT WE HAVE SEEN WORLD WIDE IS THE UNDEREDUCATION OF BLACK PEOPLE THE LACK OF EQUITY IN THE WAY THAT POLICIES ARE APPLIED!!. WHEN WE LISTEN TO MAIN STREAM YOU GET THE IDEA THAT BLACK PEOPLE ON A WHOLE KNOWS NOTHING WANTS TO KNOW NOTHING AND IS JUST THIS GREAT BURDENN ON INTERNATIONAL CHARITY"!!!!. THE TRUTH IS THAT WHEREVER BLACK POPLE ARE THERE IS ENOURMOUS WEALTH!!!!; "THE WEST THEN HAMPERS THE USE OF THE WEALTH BY THE ABORIGINIES BY USING STEALTH FRAUDULENT INHUMANE PRACTICES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY NEVFER SEE THE BENIFITS OF THIS WEALTH". MOST TIMES THEY PREFER TO USE THE CORRUPTION MODE WHERE THEY EITHER BY ESPIONAGE COUP DE TATS ENGINEER A LEADER THAT IS BLINDED BY IGNORANTS AND VENAL TO BOOT". THEY MAKE SURE THAT UNDR EDUCATED PEOPLE ARE THE MONOPOLISERS OF THE GOVERNMENST WHERE THE WEALTH IS SO THY THENHAVE A MUCH EWASIER TASK OF EXTRActingw ealth from the soil. look at what we see in congo there is no professional army to protect the wealth of the nation why??? they are so marginalised they are being used to prop up the government they are not there for th3e defense of congo they are there for oppressive measures thsi si why they are falling like dominoes!!!. the west at no time in thier desire to be these great imperialist think that people will rebel and ask for thier share of thier weal;th they will want tosee things change. they know they are th richest nation in resources in africa!!!! the people knows this !!! yet they still have very little accomplishmenst they have no electricitythat can be spoken of. with all these rich nations nvolved in congo what have they done to help the people??? how many hospitals do they have how many doctors nurses surgeons have they trained in congo???? THESE ARE THE FACTS THAT SUROUND WESTERN IMPERIALISM THEY ARE PARASITES THAT JUST COME INTO AFRICA TO EAT OFF THE FLESH OF THE PEOPLE!!!!. THIS IS AN AFRICAN SPRING THAT IS TAKING HOLD THE IMPERIALSIT WHOVE BEEN STALLWART IN DEFENDING THE PUPPETRY OF WHAT IS A WEAK GOVERNMENT INCOMPETENT ND WAS NOT THE REAL WINNERS OF THE ELECTION GONE. THE WEST AS THEY ALWAYS DO MAKES SURE THIER MAN IS WINNER AS WE SAW IN IVORY COAST; AS THEY TRIED TO DO IN LIBYA AND ARE TRYING TO DO IN SYRIA". " AFRICANS MUST NOT TAKE THE NARRATIVE ENJOYED BY THOSE WHO ARE THE BENIFACTORS OF THE EXTRACTION OF MINERALS AND THE GREAT PROFITEERS THAT LIVE PARASITICALLY OFF AFRICAS WEALTH!!! WE MUST ALLOW FOR THIS REBELLION TO PLAY ITS OWN HAND THEY DO NOT NEED HELP THE FORCES AT HAND FROM GOVERNMENT ARE INCAPABLE, THEY ARE UNPROFESSIONAL ,THEY ARE ILLDICIPLINED THEY ARE NOT WORTHY!!! "THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GREED AND AND CORRUPTION BENEIFITS A GOVERNMENT". THE MAGNITUDE OF THE REBELLION WILL CERTAINLY BE UNFOLDING WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME!!!. THE UN IS NOT A MILITARY FORCE IN AFRICA AND NO ONE OR ANY NATION SHOULD HAVE THIS PERPESPECTIVE ; WHAT THEY DID IN COTE d' IVORE WAS ILLEGAL AND SHOULD NEVER HAD BEEN SANCTIONED. THE UN IS A NEUTRAL FORCE AND WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SOVEREIGN NATIONS THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE SIDES OR INTERFERE AS THEY DID IN SYRIA WHILE THERE;WHATEVER ELSE IS DISCUSSED IS SOEMTHING NEW THAT THE IMPERIALIST HAVE BEEN DOING ILLEGALY AND 'THIS TAKES AWAY FROM THE WHOLE FRAME WORK LIGITIMACY OF THE UNITED NATIONS" DOING AN UNBIASSED NON PREJUDICIAL JOB IN SEEKING SOLUTIONS""."THE NEW IDEOLOGY BY THE WEST IS A CONTIUATION OF MORE CONFLICTS MORE DEATHS SO THEY CAN SELL MORE MILITAREY HARD WARE". "THSE NEW POLICIES ARE EXPLOTIVE B ILLEGAL INHUMANE AND NOT WORTHY OF ATTRACTING ANY SOLICITATION OR APROVAL BY OTHER NATIONS". "THERE CAN BE NO SIDE TAKING WHEN THERE IS OPNE REVOLT IN A NATION' THE PEOPLE ARE THE MAIN PROTAGONIST; NOT THE UN NOR THE WEST!!!." AFRICA MUST BE CAREFULL ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD, "THESE TIMES ARE THE CALL OF THE ALL LIBERATION OF AFRICA!!!!!!!! "WE WANT TO BE THE WHOLE SALERS THE RETAILERS THE REFINERS THE MANUFACTURERES OF OUR WEALTH WHY SHOULD WE NOW,' NOT HAVE THIS CAPACITY TO DO SO???. WE HAVE NEW FRIENDS THAT WILL BE WILLING TO GIVE ,'ON THE JOB TRAINING' WHEN HAVE NEW FRIENDS THAT WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST IN MAKING OUR MANUFACTUTING INDUSTRIES RELIABLE TECHNOLOGICALLY MODERN!!!. WE HAVE SELECT COUNTRIES IN AFRICA WHOSE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ARE SENSATIONAL' THEY MAY NEED ENHANCEMENT BUT THEY ARE SECOND TO NONE"" AFRICA IS BREEDING A NEW FIRE A RENEWED LIFE THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN AFRICA' DO NOT GET THIS STORY WRONG!!!!. "WE DO NOT LIVE IN THE WEST WHERE THE POPULLATION IS GETTING OLDER!! WE ARE GETTING YOUNGER AND SECONDLY WE DONT HAVE THIS PRISON MENTALITY WHICH THE WEST ENJOYS, LOCKING DOWN BLACK PEOPLE ENMASSE!!! ." THE AFRICAN CONTINENT IS VERY EXPANSE AND I DO NOT THINK THAT MOST WESTERN PEOPLE HAVE A GRASP OF HOW VERY LARGE AFRICA IS!!!> THEY HAVE BEEN FED SO MUCH PROPOGANDA AND STEROTYPES THEY LIVE OFF THIS HOLLYWODD FANTASY PROPOGANDA THIS HUMILIATING DEMONOLOGY OF THE AFRICAN THAT IS POTRAYED THRU HOLLYWOOD AND WESTERN MERDIA PROPOGANDA HOUSES'. THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM THAT IS IN AMERICA NO FAULT OF ITS OWN IS VERY WEAK THEIR KNWLEDGE IS SPARSE AND CONTAINS THE ONE STRICT NARRATIVE;' AMERICA IS THE GREATEST THEY ARE THE WIZEST AND EVERY ONE EXCEPT ISRAEL AND NATO HAS SENSE HAS DEMOCRACY AND KNOWS HOW TO GOVERN THEMSELVES????? THSE ARE THE SAME NARRTAIVES THAT HAVE SURVIVED SINCE ENSLAVEMENT AND IMPERIALIST TAKE OVER OF "THIS GLORIOUS CONTINENT" "AS WE SAW THEY STOLE WHAT THEY CALL MID EAST ' OUT OF THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA' SO THE WORLD WOULD NOT ASSOCIATE THE TRUTH WIHT THE BIBLE 'AND WHAT THEY CALL 'THE HOLY LAND' MAN WOULD NOT KNOW THAT IN AFRICA WAS WHERE GENISIS BEGAN'; ALL AFRICA!!.A NEXT THING IS THIS, DOES ONE KNOW THAT PEOPLE IN THE CONGO SPEAK SWAHILI IT IS A COMMON LANGAUGE THERE???????? THERE IS NOTHING FROM AN EDUCATIONAL POINT THAT IS KNOWN ABOUT AFRICA, OTHER THAN IT HAS RESOURCES AND THEY ENSLAVED THE PEOPLE FOR 500 YEARS ;; OTHER THAN THAT THEY HAVE NO CLUE!!!! WE ARE SPEAKING THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BE EDUCATED; THERE IS NO CLUE, 'THEY SEND THESE LITTLE CHILDREN' WHO GO TO AFRICA WITH PREDISPOSITIONS ABOUT THE PLACE THEY THEN RELAY TO THE WEST WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR!! THESE ARE WHOM THEY CALL EXPERTS!!. IF THEY ARE NOT KIDS ,THEY ARE OLDER MORE BIASSED AND PREJUDICED INDIVIDUALS WHO MISINTERPRETS THE PEOPLE THE LANGAUGE THE MENTALITY AND THEY CHOOSE THOSE WHO HAS A VERY SUBSERVIENT MANNERISM TO DO THIER BIDDING THIS IS WHY THEY ALWAYS FAIL. THEY DO NTOT HAVE A GARSP OF THE TRUTH AND REALITY OF THE MAJOURITY OF PEOPLE'. "DO YOU THINK IF THE WAY THEY ARE TELLING US WHAT IS GOING ON THAT THE PEOPLE OF CONGO ARE SO DUNCE THAT THEY WOULD ALLOW STARNGERS TO JUST ASSUME CONTROL OF THIER LANDS?????? "NOT AT ALL DO YOU THINK THAT THE SOLDIERS WHO ARE THE HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION WOULD SURRENDER IN SUCH GREAT NUMBERS??????? 'NOT AT ALL WAKE UP AFRICA;' FORM AFRICAN NARRATIVES NOT WESTERN NARRATIVES THEY ARE THERE FOR THE CASH ;YOU ARE THERE FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!