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Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya urged Goma residents to remain at home (Photos: Aljazeera)
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GOMA, DRC - Fighting in and around Goma has escalated despite calls from the UN Security Council for the rebels to withdraw. Residents of Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), fled on Monday after the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group claimed to have captured the regional hub from Congolese forces. The clashes intensified despite repeated calls from the United Nations Security Council for the rebels to withdraw.
Gunfire echoed across Goma overnight, and by early Monday morning, dozens of rebels in military uniforms marched into the capital of North Kivu province. The city, located on the border with Rwanda, lies in a volatile region rich in minerals critical to much of the world’s technology.
The Congolese government confirmed the presence of M23 rebels in Goma, located 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of the capital, Kinshasa, but stopped short of acknowledging that the group had taken control of the city. In a statement on X, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya urged Goma residents to remain at home and called on Congolese nationals worldwide to mobilize in support of the country. “No centimeter will be given up!!!” Muyaya wrote.
The March 23 Movement (M23) is one of approximately 100 armed groups competing for influence in the mineral-rich region amid a decades-long conflict. The rebels briefly seized Goma in 2012 before being forced to withdraw under international pressure. They resurfaced in late 2021, with increasing support from Rwanda, according to the Congolese government and UN experts. Rwanda has repeatedly denied these allegations.
In a statement, Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the DRC of failing to engage in dialogue with M23, which it described as a “Congolese rebel group fighting to protect their community.”
The ministry claimed that this failure has prolonged the fighting, which it said poses “a serious threat to Rwanda’s security and territorial integrity, necessitating Rwanda’s sustained defensive posture.”
Source: Aljazeera
