GOMA – Residents in jap Congo’s largest metropolis, Goma, awoke on Monday morning afraid and unsure about who was in charge of the world after Rwanda-backed rebels claimed to have captured the city, as their combat with Congolese safety forces escalated in current days in one of Africa’s longest wars.
Gunshots rang out throughout Goma in a single day earlier than dozens of males in army uniform had been seen early Monday morning marching with their weapons into the town, which is the capital of North Kivu province. It was unclear if the lads — who had been cheered on by some residents from the roadside — had been the M23 rebels. The Congolese authorities has not confirmed the reported takeover.
The M23 insurgent group, which neighboring Rwanda backs, is one in every of about 100 armed teams vying for a foothold within the mineral-rich area within the decades-long conflict. The rebels quickly took over Goma in 2012 and resurfaced in late 2021, with growing help from Rwanda, in keeping with Congo’s authorities and United Nations specialists. Rwanda has denied such help.
Analysts have warned the most recent escalation of hostilities might additional destabilize the area, which is already dwelling to one of many world’s largest humanitarian crises with greater than 6 million individuals displaced. More than a third of North Kivu’s population are among the many displaced, in keeping with a U.N. report.
In an announcement late Sunday, the U.N. Safety Council referred to as on the M23 to right away reverse its advances.
“The members of the Safety Council condemned the continuing flagrant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC … and that the M23 put an finish to the institution of parallel administrations within the DRC territory,” the assertion added, referring to Congo’s different title.
The rebels introduced early Monday they’d captured the town simply as a deadline they gave to Congolese safety forces to give up their weapons was about to run out. The rebels requested the Congolese army to assemble on the central stadium and urged residents to stay calm.
Congolese authorities officers have mentioned the nation is “in a battle scenario” and accused Rwanda of committing “a frontal aggression (and) a declaration of battle.” The nation severed ties with Rwanda over the weekend. Recent attempts at diplomatic talks between the 2 nations failed.
The reported advance into Goma is the fruits of a protracted battle between the rebels and the Congolese safety forces throughout which a number of cities fell to the rebels.
On Sunday, a whole lot of residents marched within the warmth and thru the night time alongside roads with heavy visitors as they tried to flee Goma into Rwanda, carrying their infants, garments and different belongings on their backs and heads.
“We’re fleeing as a result of we noticed troopers on the border with Rwanda throwing bombs and taking pictures,” mentioned Safi Shangwe, who was amongst these on the transfer.
The U.N.’s particular consultant for Congo Bintou Keita informed an emergency assembly of the U.N. Safety Council late Sunday that “we’re trapped,” with the airport shut down and roads blocked.
At the least 13 U.N. peacekeepers have been killed within the hostilities prior to now week. The U.N. peacekeeping drive, also called MONUSCO, entered Congo greater than 20 years in the past and has round 14,000 peacekeepers on the bottom.
The Uruguayan military, in Goma serving with the U.N. peacekeeping mission, mentioned in an announcement on the social platform X late Sunday that greater than 100 Congolese troopers had been laying down their weapons.
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Related Press journalists Monika Pronczuk and Wilson McMakin in Dakar, Senegal; Edith M. Lederer in New York contributed. Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria; and Mednick, from Jerusalem.
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