Thousands flee fighting in Congo as rebels capture major city

Locals are forced to migrate as violence increases in the city of Goma, Congo.

Thousands fled the city of Goma on Monday as fighting raged between Congolese forces and rebels backed by neighbouring Rwanda, who claimed to have captured eastern Congo’s largest regional hub.

Pockets of chaos and gunfire had some people hunkering down as the rebels marched into the city with a population of about 2 million. Others hurried to safer areas of the province; some applauded and cheered on the rebels from the roadside, even shaking hands with them. Many, however, tried to flee into neighbouring Rwanda, marching in the heat and through the night along roads with heavy traffic, clinging to their babies, clothes and other belongings on their backs and heads.

Goma is a key location in the conflict-battered North Kivu province whose minerals are critical to much of the world’s technology. Rebel groups have long fought over control of eastern Congo’s mineral wealth, and the conflict has often pitted ethnic groups against one another, with civilians forced to flee their homes and seek protection from armed groups .

It was unclear how much of Goma was occupied by the rebels, but the events are a huge escalation in the decades-long battle between the two countries.

The Congolese government confirmed the presence of M23 rebels in Goma, 1,500 km 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 mobilise in support of the country. “No centimeter will be given up!!!” Muyaya wrote.

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.

Who are the M23 rebels?

The M23 rebels are one of about 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich region in a decades-long conflict, 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 falling to the insurgents.

Analysts have warned the latest escalation could further destabilise the region, which is already home to one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises with more than 6 million people displaced, including more than a third of North Kivu’s population.

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 an emergency meeting late Sunday, the UN 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.

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