The rebels say they have taken control of the city of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, although this has been denied by the government.
Residents shared videos of M23 rebels roaming Goma’s highways in a lightning-quick pursuit before battling Congolese forces on Sunday that saw tens of thousands of people flee to neighboring towns.
After hours of gunfire and explosions, the streets of Goma – home to more than a million people – are now quiet, according to local media.
It comes hours that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Asola, is accusing Rwanda’s neighbors of declaring war by sending their troops over the border to support M23.
Rwanda does not deny supporting M23 but accuses the Congolese authorities of supporting militias trying to topple the government in Kigali.
Kenya has called for a ceasefire, and announced that the Presidents of Congo and Rwanda will attend an emergency regional conference in the next two days.
Kenyan President William Ruto, the current Chairman of the East Africa Community, said it is urgent for regional leaders to help facilitate a peaceful solution to the conflict.
The M23 group has taken over large parts of the Mineral-Rice Eastern Congo since 2021. In the past few weeks the group has made rapid progress in Goma amid heavy fighting.
Since the beginning of 2025, more than 400,000 people have been forced from their homes in the provinces of North and South Kivu, near the border with Rwanda, according to the UN refugee agency.
A woman, Alice Feza, said she is at a loss as to what to do next, having fled to Kiwanja, Rutshuru, Kibumba and now, goma.
“People are fleeing everywhere, and we don’t know where else we should be, because we started fleeing for a long time, because we added:” The war is taking place: “The war is taking place here among the families that have been held, now we can’t go.”
Key roads around Goma have been closed and Doli airport will no longer be used for evacuations and humanitarian efforts, the UN said.
In a statement early Monday morning, the government said its forces were deploying strategic parts of the city including the airport.
“In opposition to paid messages circulating on Fardc social media [the DR Congo army] Hold the Goka airport … and all the strategic points of the capital of North Kivu province,” it said.
It added that the army was “more than willing to defend the country of the future of high sacrifice”.
A resident told Reuters News Agency that “there is confusion in the city; here near the airport, we see soldiers. I have not seen any other cases of shoplifting.
Local journalist Akilimali Selah Chomachoma told the BBC Newsday program that the gunfire was continuing and the situation was ‘complex’.
Rev Dririri, a chaplain at the Heal Africa hospital in Goma, told the BBC that it was calm where he was, although he could hear gunfire on the other side of the city.
“Goma is a big city… We still have a lot of soldiers gathered together, government soldiers, but most of the city is controlled by the rebels,” he said.
There have been reports of heavy artillery hitting the Goma facility, and more heavily at the city prison, with uncensored videos shared online showing prisoners escaping.
A security source told the AFP News Agency that the prison, which holds 3,000 inmates, was “completely burned” and that the prison had led to deaths.
It is reported that power and water have been cut off in many areas of the city.
The rebels had ordered the military to surrender their weapons and set a 48-hour deadline that expired early Monday.
UN PATtueer keepers say some Congolese soldiers surrendered their guns with them before the deadline.
UN Secretary General António Guntres has asked Rwanda to withdraw its troops from Dr. Conge’s territory and M23 to stop the advance.
Turerrer, in his statement through his spokesman, called on Rwanda to “stop supporting M23 and withdraw from the territory of the DRC”.
This comes after 13 soldiers serving in peacekeeping forces were killed in clashes with insurgents.
The UK called for an end to the attacks on the peacekeepers, while the representative of France, Nicolas de Rivière, again called the gurrers’ call for Rerres for Rwanda to withdraw its troops from Con Congo.
Both Dr. Congo and the UN say that the M23 Group is sponsored by Rwanda.
Rwanda has not denied this, but the country’s leaders blame DR Congo for the current conflict.
Speaking at the Security Council meeting, Rwanda’s representative Ernest Rwamucyo said he regrets that the international community has chosen to condemn the M23 group instead of the Congolese army, which it says has violated the ceasefire.
On Saturday, the UN said it would withdraw all its non-essential staff from Goma.
Source link
