(Adnkronos) – Rebels from the Rwandan-backed M23 group have claimed the conquest of Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with the Kinshasa government calling their advance “a declaration of war.” The rebels announced the capture of the city in a statement released minutes before the 48-hour ultimatum imposed by the group on the Congolese army to surrender their weapons expired.
In the same statement, the M23 urges the population to remain calm – although the United Nations has reported a situation of “mass panic” among the inhabitants of the region – and the soldiers to gather in the stadium.
UN sources have also reported clashes between Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwandan troops along the eastern border, not far from Goma. Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya, in a video posted on X, appealed to the rebels to protect civilians, saying the country is now “in a state of war.” The United States and France have called for a ceasefire and warned Rwanda to withdraw its support for the M23.
The offensive in Goma “must stop,” the Paris Foreign Ministry said, while acting US ambassador Dorothy Shea warned that the United States would consider “all tools at its disposal” to hold accountable those who fuel the conflict.
Developments in the past few hours in the heart of the mineral-rich North Kivu province threaten to dramatically worsen one of the longest-running conflicts on the African continent, triggering further waves of displacement.
