Rwanda -backed rebels claimed on Monday that they had captured Goma, the largest city in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the United Nations had reported “collective panic” among its 2 million inhabitants. The city was captured after the 48 -hour time limit imposed by the M33 rebels to hand over its weapons to the Congo army.
The rebel coalition, led by M23 Militia, an ethnic Tutsi, announced the coup in a statement and urged the residents of Goma to remain calm. Meanwhile, according to a report by the Associated Press, the government in the Congo stated that the progress of the rebels was “declaration of war”.
What is happening in Congo
M33 fighters and 3,000 to 4,000 Rwanda soldiers had been siege of goma for several days, moving in the middle of the mineral rich region and threatened to dramatically spoil and displace citizens to one of the longest wars of Africa Was giving
It seems that the armed forces of the Congo have been overwhelmed by the invasion of Congo, and the Uruguay army said in a statement that some units have started surrendering by handing their weapons to the United Nations peace soldiers in Goma.
According to the AFP report, the voices of big explosions and firing were heard in Central Goma on Monday morning. As soon as anarchy spread in the city, a large -scale jail was broken from a burnt prison, resulting in “deaths” allegedly.
The leader of the Congo River alliance, including M3, Cornile Nunga told Reuters on Monday that his army was under control over Goma and army soldiers were laying arms.
Meanwhile, Congo government spokesman Patrick Muayaya posted a video on X, calling for the safety of the citizens and said that the country is “in a battle of war where the news is changing.”
On Sunday, the United Nations Security Council held crisis talks with the United States, France and Britain, in which he spoke of Rwanda to support the rebels.
However, Rwanda dismissed the “no solution” statements and accused the Congo government of vandalizing the M23 and supporting Hutu Milicians involved in the 1994 massacre.
Kinshasa dismisses these allegations. Congo’s Foreign Affairs Minister Therece Kaikwamba Wagner called upon the Security Council to impose a complete ban on all minerals labeled as Rwanda, especially gold exports “.
Meanwhile, the United Nations employees and their families were taken to Rwanda on Monday, where 10 buses were waiting to take them. The border between Rwanda and DRC near Goma remained closed on Monday as the United States, France, Britain and Germany called upon their citizens to leave the city.
DRC conflict
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC )’s eastern border is a group of rebels and militia fashers arising from two regional wars after the 1994 massacre of Rwanda, when Hutu extremists killed about 1 million tutsi and liberal Hutas.
The latest in a long series of rebel movements led by Rwanda supported by Rwanda, M3 (or 23 March Movement) captured Goma in 2012, but withdrew a few days later after the agreement signed by neighboring countries.
Congo has more than 100 armed groups, mainly in the middle of the central African country of 100 million people, which is almost western Europe’s shape and has abundant mineral reserves in the eyes of Chinese and Western companies.
According to a United Nations report, more than one third of the North Kivu province, where Goma is located, is currently displaced.
About M23 rebels
The collapse of Goma in 2012 led to a new aggressive-minded United Nations Army deployment, the congregation’s army led to a complete change and a diplomatic pressure on Rwanda, which led to the Mizon’s defeat next year and its demonetisation under an agreement Was called
But the group never completely unarmed and started a new attack in 2022, in which it captured the vast part of the mineral rich northern Kivu province, including attractive mines producing colon, which used the smartphone. Is done in
A well -trained and professional armed, M32 says that it is present to protect the Tutsi population of Congo from the Congo government and the ethnic Hutu militia. United Nations experts say Rwanda has deployed 3,000-4,000 troops to support M23 and provided significant firepower including missiles and snipers.
According to the United Nations, the lead of rebels from the beginning of the year has forced thousands of people to leave their homes, of which 3 million people have been displaced in Eastern Congo in 2024.