France’s Foreign Ministry said that Congo’s territorial integrity was “not negotiable” after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels took the eastern city of Goma and vowed to march “all the way to Kinshasa.”

The ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is yet another example of how the scramble for resources continues to fuel wars in Africa, leaving millions in poverty while foreign powers and regional actors exploit the chaos.

France’s recent call for Rwandan forces and M23 rebels to withdraw from eastern Congo underscores the deep geopolitical stakes in a region rich in minerals like cobalt, gold, and coltan—essential for global industries.

M23 rebels, widely believed to be backed by Rwanda, have seized control of Goma, a key city in the resource-rich North Kivu province, and vowed to continue their advance toward Kinshasa.

Rwanda denies involvement, but its history of using rebel groups to control valuable mining territories in Congo raises serious concerns.

Meanwhile, Congo accuses Rwanda of fueling instability to plunder its wealth, a pattern seen across many African conflicts where natural resources become a curse rather than a blessing.

The crisis has drawn in international players, with France asserting that Congo’s sovereignty is “not negotiable” while supporting mediation efforts by Angola and Kenya.

However, diplomacy often takes a backseat to economic interests, and foreign powers, including Western nations, have long been accused of turning a blind eye to the exploitation of Congo’s vast mineral wealth.

Analysts fear that the war might not just be about ethnic rivalries or national security—it is deeply tied to the competition over resources that sustain global supply chains.

With M23 pushing further into South Kivu and regional tensions rising—especially after Rwanda’s warning of a potential confrontation with South Africa—this conflict risks spiraling into a wider war.

The presence of UN peacekeepers and the deaths of South African soldiers highlight how international forces are drawn into battles that, at their core, are about control over Congo’s immense natural wealth.

Unless the international community addresses the economic motivations behind these conflicts, Africa’s resource-rich but impoverished nations will continue to be battlegrounds for proxy wars, with local populations bearing the brunt of the violence.

Paris reiterated its condemnation of the M23 offensive in Congo.

“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of [Congo] are not negotiable,” French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Cristophe Lemoine said.

“The M23 must immediately withdraw from the territories it has taken control of. Rwandan forces must urgently leave the territory of the DRC,” he said.

He said that Foreign Minster Jean-Noel Barrot had traveled to Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, after having visited Kinshasa.

The spokesperson said that Paris supported diplomatic efforts by Angola and Kenya to mediate peace talks between Congo and Rwanda.

The minister’s visit comes after protesters stormed the French embassy and other diplomatic missions in Congo’s capital.

The M23 group pledged that it would continue its offensive in Congo after capturing the North Kivu provincial capital of Goma.

“We will continue the march of liberation all the way to Kinshasa,” said Corneille Nangaa, head of a coalition of groups including M23, according to the AFP news agency and Rwandan media.

“We are in Goma and we will not leave… for as long as the questions for which we took up arms have not been answered,” he said.

The statement comes after Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi vowed a “vigorous and coordinated response” against M23 and Rwandan forces.

Also on Thursday, Rwandan President Paul kagame said that Kigali was ready for “confrontation” with South Africa over Pretoria’s condemnation of the M23 offensive.

13 South African soldiers, who are present in eastern Congo as part of a UN peacekeeping, have been killed since the escalation of hostilities last week.

M23 has continued to make gains in recent days, pushing beyond Goma into the province of South Kivu.

Rwanda has accused Congo of supporting ethnic Hutu-led militias Kigali says are linked to the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

Congo denies the charges, in turn accusing Rwanda of using M23 as a way to take control of mineral-rich territory in the Central African country.