GOMA, Congo – Pro-Rwanda rebels said they captured eastern Congo’s largest city, Goma, early Monday, as the United Nations described “tremendous fear” among its two million people and the Congolese government said the insurgent attack was “a declaration of war.”
The M23 rebels announced the capture of the city in a statement minutes before the end of a 48-hour deadline set by the group for Congolese troops to hand over their weapons. Early Monday morning, gunfire was heard throughout the city, according to two aid workers sheltered there who were not authorized to speak to the media.
In a statement, the rebels called on Goma residents to calm down and members of the Congolese army to gather at the central stadium.
An attack by M23 rebels in the heart of the mineral-rich region threatens to further escalate one of Africa’s longest wars and further displace civilians. According to a report by the United Nations, more than one-third of the people of North Kivu province where Goma is located have already lost their homes and the capture of Goma may worsen the situation.
On Sunday night, UN peacekeepers began to process members of the army who had begun surrendering on the outskirts of the city.
The Congolese government spokesman, Patrick Muyaya, made a statement in a video posted on X calling for the protection of civilians and said that the country is “in a state of war where things are changing.”
Late Sunday, the UN special representative for Congo told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that with the airport closed and roads closed for humanitarian and security assistance in the region, “we are trapped.”
Congo late Saturday severed ties with Rwanda, which has denied supporting M23 despite evidence gathered by UN experts and others. The escalation of violence has killed at least 13 peacekeepers in the past week. The Congolese fled again.
The UN Security Council condemned the development of the M23 in a statement on Sunday and urged the rebels to withdraw from the area they were seeking.
M23 has made significant gains in the Congo-Rwanda border region in recent weeks, after months of failed regional peace efforts. On Sunday night, the rebels asked the Congolese army to surrender their weapons and present themselves at the local stadium at 3 am or they will take over the city.
The Uruguayan army, which is in Goma working for the UN peacekeeping unit, said in a statement on Sunday night that some Congolese soldiers have laid down their arms.
“More than 100 FARDC soldiers are sheltered in the “Siempre Presente” buildings awaiting the (Disarmament, Demobilization and Repatriation) process,” the statement said.
In the photos shared with this statement, armed men can be seen signing up with soldiers wearing military uniforms and civilian clothes.
The special representative of the UN, Bintou Keita, told the Security Council that despite the support of the UN troops the Congolese army, the M23 and the Rwandan army entered the area of ​​Munigi on the outskirts of Goma, “causing great fear.” Munigi is 9 kilometers (5 miles) from the city.
Keita said M23 fighters were advancing and using civilians as “human shields” as others fled for their lives.
“M23 has announced that the airport over Goma is closed,” he added. In other words, we are caught. He said the UN is removing non-essential personnel from the city temporarily.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Congo, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, told the Security Council that Rwanda is committing “direct violence, a declaration of war that we no longer hide behind official plans.”
Rwanda’s ambassador to the UN, Ernest Rwamucyo, did not confirm or deny what Congo said. He blamed the Congolese government, saying that the crisis could have been avoided if it had “shown a real commitment to peace.”
The United States and France have called for a ceasefire and urged Rwanda to withdraw its support for M23, with acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea warning that the US will “use all the tools at its disposal” to hold accountable those involved in sustaining the war. .
In the past 48 hours, two UN peacekeepers from South Africa and one from Uruguay were killed and 11 others were injured and hospitalized, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesman before the Security Council meeting.
The UN official also “strongly condemns” the M23 attack “with the support of the Rwandan security forces,” and called on the rebel group to immediately stop all hostile actions and withdraw, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Congo cuts ties with Rwanda
Congo, the United States and UN experts accuse Rwanda of supporting the M23, which is made up mostly of Tutsis who defected from the Congolese army more than a decade ago. It is one of about 100 armed groups fighting to gain access to the mineral-rich region, where long-running conflict has created the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis.
The Rwandan government denies backing the rebels, but last year admitted it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to protect its security, pointing to the build-up of Congolese troops near the border. UN experts estimate up to 4,000 Congolese Rwandan troops.
Congo’s foreign ministry said late Saturday it was cutting diplomatic ties with Rwanda and withdrawing all diplomatic staff from the country “immediately.”
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, told the Associated Press on Sunday that the decision to cut ties was taken by Congo.
“For us, we have taken appropriate measures to expel our remaining ambassador in Kinshasa, who was completely threatened by Congolese officials,” said Nduhungirehe.
M23 took Goma once before in 2012, only to withdraw after Rwanda put serious international pressure on it.
However, Congolese experts say that it may be difficult to talk about M23 as their goals in this case are different.
“Previously, they had clear demands to be included in the (Congo) army and to play a major role in the political process. In this case, their motivation to attack is due to their desire to control the area, especially the region of North Kivu,” said Darren Davids, an analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
There is a lot of uncertainty about the way forward and if there is fighting in the city it could be a disaster with a lot of casualties, he said.
The civilians are fleeing the insurgent attack
On Sunday morning, heavy gunfire erupted across Goma, just a few kilometers away from where the battle was taking place. Dozens of children and adults have fled the Kanyaruchinya camp, one of eastern Congo’s largest internally displaced persons, near the Rwandan border.
“We are running away because we saw soldiers on the Rwandan border throwing bombs and shooting,” said Safi Shangwe, who was heading to the city.
Some of the refugees are worried that they will not be safe in Goma. “I heard that there are also bombs in Goma, so now we don’t know where to go,” said Adèle Shimiye.
Hundreds of people tried to flee to Rwanda. Transport officials at the eastern border of Goma were carefully checking travel documents.
“I am crossing to the other side to see if we will have shelter because at the moment, security is not guaranteed in the city,” Goma resident Muahadi Amani told AP.
The Deputy Head of the United Nations, Joyce Msuya, said the situation is rapidly deteriorating. “If the war spreads to Goma—a dense urban center—the impact on civilians could be huge,” he said.
The Congolese army has said it is repelling the M23 attack with the help of coalition forces, including UN troops and troops from the Southern African Development Community Mission, also known as SAMIDRC.
Apart from the two South African peacekeepers, seven South African soldiers with SAMIDIRC have been killed in recent days, the South African Ministry of Defense said.
As of 2021, the Congolese government and allied forces – including a 14,000-strong UN mission – have been keeping the M23 away from Goma.
The family of Goma resident Bahati Jackson has been hearing gunshots and remembers fleeing the M23 from the city in 2012. But this time he still lives.
“If we’re going to die, we’d rather die here,” Jackson said.
– Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal, and Lederer reported from New York. Associated Press writers Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda and Sam Mednick in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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