Residents flee Goma as M23 rebels enter DRC’s largest eastern city. news in pictures
Residents of Goma, the largest city in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), were fleeing on Monday after the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group claimed to have captured the regional center from the Congolese army as fighting escalated despite calls to stop the conflict. United Nations Security Council for the withdrawal of rebels.
Gunfire continued throughout the night in Goma before dozens of rebels in military fatigues marched into the capital of North Kivu province on Monday morning, which lies on the border with Rwanda, a volatile region rich in minerals vital to much of the world’s technology.
The Congolese government confirmed the presence of M23 rebels in Goma, 1,500 km (930 mi) east of the capital Kinshasa, but declined to say whether they were in control of the city.
In a statement on Twitter, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya asked Goma residents to stay at home and also urged Congolese citizens around the world to rally in support of the country. “Not a single centimeter will be spared!!!” Muyaya wrote.
The March 23 Movement (M23) is one of about 100 armed groups trying to gain a foothold in the mineral-rich region in the decades-long conflict. Rebels temporarily captured Goma in 2012, before being forced to pull out due to international pressure, and again in late 2021, with increased support from Rwanda, according to the Congolese government and UN experts. Emerged from. Rwanda has denied such support.
Rwanda’s Foreign Ministry accused the DRC of failing to negotiate with the M23, which it described as a “Congolese rebel group fighting to defend its community.”
It said that failure has prolonged the fighting which “remains a serious threat to the security and territorial integrity of Rwanda, and requires Rwanda’s continued defensive posture”.
