GOMA, Congo — Residents in eastern Congo’s largest city, Goma, were fleeing on Monday after Rwanda-backed rebels claimed to have from Congolese forces as fighting escalated despite calls from the U.N. Security Council for the insurgents to withdraw.
Gunshots rang out across Goma overnight before dozens of rebels in military uniform early Monday morning marched into the capital of North Kivu province, which sits on the border with Rwanda in the volatile region rich in minerals critical to much of the world’s technology.
The Congolese government confirmed the presence of M23 rebels in Goma, 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of capital Kinshasa, but stopped short of saying they were in control of the city. In a statement on X, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya asked Goma residents to stay at home and also urged Congolese nationals around the world to mobilize in support of the country. “No centimeter will be given up!!!” Muyaya wrote.
As the rebels entered Goma, a fire at the city’s Munzenze prison on Monday morning resulted in the escape of thousands of inmates. “All the prisoners who were detained came out, whether women, men or minors, everyone came out,” said Mwamisyo Ndungo, one of the escapees who estimated that more than 2,000 fled the facility.
are one of about 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich region in the , one of Africa’s largest. The rebels temporarily took over Goma in 2012, before they were forced to pull out under international pressure, and resurfaced in late 2021, with increasing support from Rwanda, according to Congo’s government and United Nations experts. Rwanda has denied such support.
Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Congo of failing to enter a dialogue with M23, which it described as a “Congolese rebel group fighting to protect their community.” That failure, it said, has prolonged the fighting that continues to present “a serious threat to Rwanda’s security and territorial integrity, and necessitates Rwanda’s sustained defensive posture.”
The advance into Goma is the culmination of a prolonged battle between the rebels and the Congolese security forces that saw several towns along the Rwandan border
Analysts have warned the latest escalation could further destabilize the region, which is already home to one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises with more than 6 million people displaced, including
A regional hub for trade, security and humanitarian efforts, Goma’s airport, which is key for transporting supplies, has been shut following the fighting.
Rwanda’s state television also showed several Congolese soldiers surrendering in the Rwandan town of Rubavu after crossing the border from Goma.
UN and other countries call on the rebels to withdraw
After its emergency meeting late Sunday, the U.N. Security Council issued a statement calling on the M23 to immediately reverse its advances. Other countries including the United States, United Kingdom and France have also condemned the rebel push.
“The members of the Security Council condemned the ongoing flagrant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC,” the U.N. statement added, referring to Congo’s formal name, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Congolese government officials have said the country is “in a war situation” and accused Rwanda of committing “a frontal aggression (and) a declaration of war.” Congo cut ties with Rwanda over the weekend as between the two countries failed.
Rwanda has denied claims it has prolonged the conflict. Rwanda accuses Congo of enlisting and fighting alongside Hutu rebels and former militiamen responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, particularly the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a group formed by the Hutus who fled to Congo after the killings.
Residents seek safety across the border in Rwanda
On Sunday, hundreds of residents marched in the heat and through the night along roads with heavy traffic as they tried to flee Goma into Rwanda, carrying their babies, clothes and other belongings on their backs and heads. Many were still on the run on Monday.
“We are fleeing because we saw soldiers on the border with Rwanda throwing bombs and shooting,” said Safi Shangwe, who was among those on the move.
At least 13 U.N. peacekeepers have been killed in the hostilities in the past week. The U.N. peacekeeping force, also known as MONUSCO, entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground.
The Uruguayan army, in Goma serving with the U.N. peacekeeping mission, said in a statement on the social platform X late Sunday that more than 100 Congolese soldiers were laying down their weapons.
Who are the rebels and why is Goma of interest to them?
The M23 refers to the March 23, 2009, agreement that ended a previous uprising in the region. after the failed integration of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army. It claims it took up arms against Congolese forces to defend the Tutsis from discrimination but has often talked about targeting the Congolese government.
After a decade of inactivity, the group resurfaced in late 2021, with its leaders accusing the Congolese government of neglecting its commitments to demobilize and integrate Congolese Tutsis into the country’s army and administration. Its number has since grown from hundreds to around 6,500 fighters, according to the U.N.
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Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria. Associated Press writers Christina Malkia in Kinshasa, Congo, Sam Mednick in Jerusalem, Monika Pronczuk and Wilson McMakin in Dakar, Senegal and Edith M. Lederer in New York contributed to this report.
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