UN describes ‘mass panic’ in Goma as Rwanda-backed rebels seize control of key Congolese city

Rwanda-backed rebels claimed to have captured eastern Congo’s largest city, Goma, early Monday, as the United Nations described “mass panic” among its two million residents and the Congolese government said the rebel advance was a “declaration of war”.

The M23 rebels announced their capture of the city in a statement minutes before the group’s 48-hour deadline for the Congolese army to hand over their weapons expired.

In a statement, the rebels called on the residents of Goma to remain calm and for members of the Congolese army to gather at the central stadium.

An offensive by M23 rebels in the heart of the mineral-rich region threatens to dramatically worsen one of Africa’s longest wars and further displace civilians. According to a UN report, more than a third of the population of the North Kivu province where Goma is located is currently displaced, and the capture of Goma is likely to worsen the situation.

Late on Sunday night, the UN peacekeeping forces began processing the soldiers who had begun to surrender on the outskirts of the city.

Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya issued a statement in a video posted on X calling for the protection of civilians and saying the country is “in a war situation where the news is changing.”

Late on Sunday, the UN special representative for Congo told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that we were “trapped”, with the airport closed and roads blocked in the humanitarian and security hub of the vast region.

Congo cut ties late Saturday with Rwanda, which has denied backing M23 despite evidence gathered by UN experts and others. At least 13 peacekeepers were killed in the last week’s waves of violence. And the Congolese were on the run again.

M23 has made significant territorial gains along Congo’s border with Rwanda in recent weeks, after months of regional efforts to restore peace failed. On Sunday night, the rebels called on the Congolese army to surrender their weapons and come to the local stadium by 3 a.m. local time or they would take over the city.

The Uruguayan army, which is in Goma on a UN peacekeeping mission, said in a statement late Sunday that some Congolese soldiers had laid down their arms.

“More than a hundred FARDC soldiers are housed in the facilities of the “Siempre Presente” base awaiting the process (of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration),” the statement said.

Photos shared with the statement show armed men registering with peacekeepers in a combination of military uniforms and civilian clothes.

The UN special representative, Bintou Keita, told the Security Council that despite UN peacekeeping support for the Congolese armed forces, M23 and Rwandan forces entered the Munigi district on the outskirts of Goma, “causing mass panic”. Munigi is nine kilometers from the city.

Keita said M23 fighters were advancing and using residents “as human shields” while others fled for their lives.

“M23 has declared the airspace over Goma closed,” she added. “In other words, we’re trapped.” She said the UN is temporarily moving non-essential personnel out of the city.

Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner told the Security Council that Rwanda was carrying out “frontal aggression, a declaration of war that no longer hides behind diplomatic maneuvers.”

Rwanda’s ambassador to the UN, Ernest Rwamucyo, neither confirmed nor denied Congo’s claims. He blamed the Congolese government, saying the crisis could have been avoided if it had “shown a true commitment to peace”.

The United States and France have called for a ceasefire and appealed to Rwanda to withdraw its support for M23, with Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea warning that the US will “consider all tools at its disposal” to hold those responsible accountable. for maintaining an armed conflict. .

In the past 48 hours, two UN peacekeepers from South Africa and one from Uruguay were killed, and 11 were injured and hospitalized, UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesman said before the Security Council meeting.

The UN chief reiterated his “strongest condemnation” of the M23 offensive “with the support of the Rwandan Defense Forces” and called on the rebel group to immediately cease all hostile actions and withdraw, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Congo, the United States and UN experts accuse Rwanda of supporting M23, which is mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army more than a decade ago. It is one of about 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich region, where the protracted conflict has created one of the world’s biggest humanitarian crises.

Rwanda’s government denies backing the rebels, but last year admitted it had troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to protect its security, pointing to a build-up of Congolese forces near the border. UN experts estimate that there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.