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28-01-2025
KINSHASA: Rebels from the Congolese M23 movement say they have taken control of the eastern city of Goma, following a lightning advance against the army.
At least 13 foreign peacekeepers have been killed in clashes with the rebels.
Fighting between the M23 and DR Congo’s army has intensified since the start of the year, with the rebels seizing control of more territory than ever.
Water and electricity supplies in Goma have been cut off, aid workers say.
Goma, which borders Rwanda, is a vital trading and transport hub with over a million residents.
At the UN Security Council, the US, France and UK said Rwandan troops were supporting the M23 – Rwanda has previously denied this.
The M23 has taken control of vast swathes of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo since 2021, and the UN estimates more than 400,000 people have fled their homes in the past month.
Throughout January the M23 advance has been rapid.
Perhaps deliberately timed to take advantage of when the world was distracted by politics in America and conflict in the Middle East.
By the time the UN Security Council raised the alarm, the Rwandan-backed rebels were already knocking at the door of Goma.
Rwanda’s government, led by President Paul Kagame, claims the conflict is a matter of national security, aimed at protecting Rwanda from Hutu rebels operating out of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo but Kinshasa sees that as a convenient excuse and accuses Kigali of trying to annex part of eastern DR Congo to exploit its vast mineral reserve.
What happens next will partly depend on whether Rwanda faces any threat of sanctions.
Earlier media reported of a mass escape from a prison in Goma.
A video, posted by DR Congo’s UN-backed media outlet Radio Okapi, external, appears to show people fleeing from the prison.
The footage shows two columns of thick black smoke rising from the building, while gunshots, shouts and cheers can be heard in the background.
DR Congo’s government says it is working to avoid “carnage” in Goma, but it will not give up any territory following claims by rebels that they have seized the city.
In a statement posted on X, external, Communication Minister Patrick Muyaya urged the population to stay at home for their safety.
He also urged people to refrain from engaging in vandalism or looting, and not to give in to the “manipulative propaganda of Rwanda”.
Muyaya also repeated previous statements alleging that Rwandan troops are in Goma fighting alongside the M23 rebels.
“We are all guardians of our territory,” Muyaya said, adding that “not a single centimetre will be given up”.
What is happening now?
After a rapid advance, fighters from the ethnic Tutsi-led M23 rebel group have reportedly captured much of the eastern city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Goma is a vital trading hub, and within reach of mining towns supplying metals and minerals in high demand, such as gold, tin and coltan.
How long has fighting in DR Congo been going on for?
The mineral-rich east has been dogged by conflict for more than 30 years.
Various armed groups have competed with the central authorities for power and control of the potential fortune in this vast nation. (Int’l News Desk)
