𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗠𝗔 𝗔𝗧 𝗚𝗢𝗠𝗔 𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧.

Today, we are at Goma Airport, which is currently under M23 control. They are taking us through the battle for Goma, primarily fought at the airport, where over 300 combatants from the Congolese army, Burundi, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania and FDLR reportedly lost their lives.

According to M23, the UN MONUSCO forces collaborated with SAMIDRC (SADC DC) forces, attacking M23 and Rwanda. We were shown DRC and SADC artillery batteries and Grad Stalin's organs, which they claimed were targeted and fired at M23 positions and Rwandan territory.

We also passed by what were said to be two UN, three South African, two Tanzanian, and two Malawian military camps which still have their unique military equipment and white flags. They alleged that these missions joined forces with the DRC, FDLR, and Romanian mercenaries to attack incoming M23 fighters and shelling Rwanda.

After winning the battle, M23 claims to be holding SADC military personnel as prisoners of war in their respective camps where they are providing them with healthcare, medicine, food, water and other basic services.

My team and I have come to Congo and Rwanda to shoot a documentary that speaks to all sides, so that we can tell this story from our own African voices (we are tired of western voices) to help us understand the conflict and advocate for peace among brothers.

We have written to Congo, SADC, and all involved nations, asking them to contribute their sides to the documentary. The Rwandas and M23 were the first to invite us to speak to them while the East African and SADC governments have not responded except the South African government,

Yesterday, the South African government wrote to us stating that the President would not be able to contribute to the documentary due to prior engagements. We hope they will provide alternative voices, especially after M23 showed us a video of a South African Major General heading SAMIDRC, Monwabisi Dyakopu, in which they say that in an address (in a Tanzanian station with Swahili translation) he said “SAMIDRC’s first duty was to respond to the attacks by M23 and to eliminate this first enemy and then after the leadership of SAMIDRC will tell the mission enemy number two”.

Written by Rutendo Matinyarare, Chairman of ZASM.