‘Declaration of War’: M23 rebels claimed to take possession of the city of DR Congo. Conflict news
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Eyewitnesses say they saw the rebels entering the center of the eastern city of Goma amid firing, as the United Nations has called for ending the attack.
Firing took place in parts of Goma, the largest city of Goma, the largest city of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a few hours later Rwanda -backed M33 rebels said that they had seized it despite the United Nations Security Council calling on the attack despite the call to stop the attack .
The armed group announced occupation of the city in a statement on Monday morning, as the DRC government stated that their progress was a “declaration of war” by Rwanda and the United Nations said that between two million inhabitants of Goma from the occupation “large scale Panic “is born.
The claim of M23 came a few minutes before the end of the 48 -hour time limit to hand over their weapons to the soldiers of the Congo. Its fighters also urged Goma residents to remain calm and gather at the DRC Army members at the Central Stadium.
Two witnesses told the Reuters News Agency that the rebels had entered the center of Goma. According to the agency report, one of them shared a brief video in which people armed with heavy weapons are seen walking on the streets.
The progress of the M23 rebel alliance has forced thousands of people to leave their homes in the DRC’s mineral-rich east and there has been a possibility that the decades-old struggle is taking the risk of resumption of a wider regional war. Is.
The M23 fighters have been stuck in a conflict with the Congo Army and the United Nations peace soldiers on the outskirts of Goma for several days.
Battle for the major city is the latest chapter of fighting in Eastern DRC, a unstable region that has been struggling with regional rivalry, ethnic disputes and armed militia conflicts for more than three decades, which has led to one of the world’s worst human distress Has given.
In a video posted on X, DRC government spokesperson Patrick Muayaya called for the safety of citizens and said that the country is “in war”.
Angry with an M3 lead over Goma, DRC broke relations with Rwanda on Saturday and called for United Nations sanctions on his neighbor.
With increasing international pressure to end the Goma battle, Kenya announced on Sunday that DRC President Felix Tessecidi and Rwanda President Paul Kagame had agreed to attend a summit in the next two days.
Kenya President William Ruto appealed to the two leaders to “pay attention to the call of peace of the people of our region and the international community”.
“The President of the East African Community Block, Ruto, will hold an emergency meeting for the heads of state on the status of the East African Community Block, Principal Secretary, Kenya’s Foreign Ministry.
At an emergency meeting of the UNSC on Sunday in response to the crisis, the top diplomat of Kinshhasa warned that more Rwanda soldiers were crossing the border “in open and deliberate violations of sovereignty.
DRC Foreign Minister Theresi Kaikwamba Wagner said, “This is a direct attack, a declaration of war that no longer hides behind diplomatic cleverness.”
Kigali dismissed the statements that “did not provide any solutions”, and blamed Kinshasa for triggering the recent growth.
Rwanda’s Foreign Ministry said, “The fight close to the Rwanda border remains a serious threat to the security and regional integrity of Rwanda and Rwanda’s continuous defensive currency is required.”
United Nations experts say Rwanda has deployed 3,000-4,000 soldiers to support M3 in the Battle at DRC and provide significant firepower including missiles and snipers.
In a statement late on Sunday night, the UNSC called for the return of aggressive “external forces” in the region, but clearly refused to name him.
The statement came after United Nations chief Antonio Guterres calls Rwanda out of DRC from Rwanda – which Kigali dismissed.
About a dozen foreign peace soldiers have been killed in the rising clashes.
