Rebels say they have taken control of the key eastern city of Goma
Hello and welcome to the Democratic Republic of Congo live blog, where we will be bringing you all the latest from a developing situation.
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured eastern DR Congo’s largest city, Goma, as the United Nations reported “mass panic” with the government dubbing the insurgency a “declaration of war”, AP reported.
The city’s capture came following a 48-hour deadline imposed by the group for the Congolese army to surrender their weapons. The M23 rebel movement announced the coup d’etat in a statement.
In the statement, the rebels urged residents of Goma to remain calm. There was no immediate comment from the government of the DR Congo.
Hours earlier, the UN’s special representative for Congo told an emergency meeting of the UN security council that with the airport shut down and roads blocked in the vast region’s humanitarian and security hub, “we are trapped.”
The M23 rebels’ offensive at the heart of the mineral-rich region threatens to dramatically worsen one of Africa’s longest wars and create further misery for what is already one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with millions of people displaced.
Key events
UN security council demands M23 stop offensive
The UN security council on Sunday demanded that M23 rebel forces stop an ongoing offensive and advance towards Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and that “external forces” in the region immediately withdraw.
The council demands came just hours after Rwandan-backed M23 said they had taken Goma following a lightning advance that has forced thousands of people to flee and fuelled concerns of a regional war. Reuters could not independently determine whether the city was fully under rebel control.
The 15-member UN security council met earlier on Sunday to discuss the crisis and then quickly agreed on a lengthy statement.
The council urged Rwanda and the DRC to return to talks to achieve peace and address issues related to the presence of Rwanda Defence Forces in the eastern Congo and Congolese support for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
M23 vows to defend Tutsi interests, particularly against ethnic Hutu militias such as the FDLR, which was founded by Hutus who fled Rwanda after participating in the 1994 genocide of more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
At the council meeting on Sunday, the United States, France and Britain condemned what they said was Rwanda’s backing of the M23 rebel advance. Kigali has long denied supporting M23.
In its statement, the Security Council “condemned the ongoing flagrant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC, including the unauthorised presence in the eastern DRC of external forces”.
It did not explicitly name the external forces but demanded that they “withdraw immediately.”
The Uruguayan army, who are in Goma serving with the UN peacekeeping mission, said in a statement on X late on Sunday that some Congolese soldiers have laid down their weapons.
“More than a hundred FARDC soldiers are sheltered in the facilities of the “Siempre Presente” base awaiting the (Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration) process,” the statement said.
In photos shared with the statement, armed men are seen registering with the peacekeepers in a mix of military uniforms and civilian clothing.
UN peacekeepers have begun to process members of the military who had begun to surrender on the outskirts of the city, AP reported.
Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya made a statement in a video posted on X calling for the protection of civilians and saying that the country is “in a war situation where the news is changing.”
Late Sunday, the UN’s special representative for Congo told an emergency meeting of the UN security council that with the airport shut down and roads blocked in the vast region’s humanitarian and security hub, “we are trapped”.
Congo late Saturday broke off relations with Rwanda, which has denied backing the M23 despite evidence collected by UN experts and others. The surge of violence has killed at least 13 peacekeepers over the past week.
Rebels say they have taken control of the key eastern city of Goma
Hello and welcome to the Democratic Republic of Congo live blog, where we will be bringing you all the latest from a developing situation.
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured eastern DR Congo’s largest city, Goma, as the United Nations reported “mass panic” with the government dubbing the insurgency a “declaration of war”, AP reported.
The city’s capture came following a 48-hour deadline imposed by the group for the Congolese army to surrender their weapons. The M23 rebel movement announced the coup d’etat in a statement.
In the statement, the rebels urged residents of Goma to remain calm. There was no immediate comment from the government of the DR Congo.
Hours earlier, the UN’s special representative for Congo told an emergency meeting of the UN security council that with the airport shut down and roads blocked in the vast region’s humanitarian and security hub, “we are trapped.”
The M23 rebels’ offensive at the heart of the mineral-rich region threatens to dramatically worsen one of Africa’s longest wars and create further misery for what is already one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with millions of people displaced.
Article by:Source: Tom Ambrose
