
Young men in eastern DR Congo lined up outside a stadium, ready to fight the advancing M23 rebels.
“I am ready to die for my country,” said Juvenal Bahati Muhigirwa Ndagano, awaiting enlistment.
M23 recently captured Goma and is advancing toward Bukavu, threatening millions in the mineral-rich region.
UN reports say at least 700 people have died and 2,800 are wounded since Sunday.
South Kivu authorities launched a three-day recruitment drive, calling on volunteers to join the fight.
Militia groups known as “Wazalendo” have fought alongside the Congolese army since 2021.
Recruits trained on red earth as leader Marcellin Bahaya urged them to “never move backward.”
“We will fight until the Rwandans return home,” vowed fighter Amani Wangwabo.
Despite facing a heavily armed M23, volunteers rely on basic weapons and ancestral beliefs.
Authorities warned fighters to stay disciplined and avoid harming civilians.
Interior Minister Murhula Albert Kahasha promised recruits quick training before deployment to Kalehe territory.