| 2009 Eastern Congo offensive | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theKivu conflict | |||||||
 Congolese generalDidier Etumba andJames Kabarebe accessing the success of operation Kimia 2,Matadi, DRC, January 2010 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 DR Congo Rwanda |  FDLRMai-Mai | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| John NumbiJames Kabarebe[1] | Sylvestre Mudacumura (FDLR) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
5,000[2] | 6,000 – 7,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 5 Congolese soldiers killed, 3 Rwandan soldiers killed, 12 Congolese and Rwandan soldiers wounded[3] | 153 FDLR militiamen killed, 8 wounded, 19 captured, 140 surrendered & 5,000 repatriated[3] | ||||||
| 250+ civilians killed[4] | |||||||
The2009 Eastern Congo offensive was a jointCongo-Rwanda military offensive against theHutuDemocratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel group descended from those groups that carried out the1994 Rwanda genocide. Two operations were carried out: 'Kimia II' and 'Umoja Wetu.' 'Kimia' can be translated as 'calm.' "Umoja Wetu" isSwahili for "Our Unity".[3]
Rwanda and the DRC made an agreement to rout out elements of the FDLR from eastern Congo.[5] On20 January 2009, 1,000 Rwandan soldiers poured over the border into eastern Congo near Goma and were working, according to United Nations officials, as advisers for the Congolese troops.[6]
On23 January 2009, some rebels had started to surrender to Rwandan and Congolese troops.[5]
First reports of fighting came on24 January 2009, when the Congolese army reported they killed nine FDLR militiamen. In response the rebels claimed they didn't lose any men and that the Congolese military itself suffered nine soldiers killed and one wounded in a clash with a group ofMai-Mai militiamen.[2] By this time the FDLR was in retreat from Southern into Northern Kivu province and the number of Rwandan soldiers in the region reached 5,000.
On26 January 2009, rebels tried to retake the village of Kasinga, but were repulsed by Congolese and Rwandan soldiers in fighting that killed four militiamen.
On18 February 2009, air strikes killed 40 rebels 5 kilometers west of Goma.[4]
Rwandan forces withdrew on27 February 2009.[3]
