Goma, Congo, Jan 28, (dpa/GNA) – Rebels from the M23 militia said on Monday, that they had seized the key city of Goma in eastern Congo, on the border
with Rwanda.
There was no immediate confirmation from the Congolese military or the government in Kinshasa that the city, the capital of North Kivu Province, had
fallen to the rebels, who are widely reported to be backed by Rwanda.
The city, which had effectively been surrounded by the M23, has a population of more than a million plus a large number of displaced people.
Residents reported shooting and plundering in the city, along with sightings of M23 fighters. Congolese soldiers were seen showing white flags after
abandoning their weapons and vehicles.
“It is correct that the M23 have entered Goma, but I am not sure that they control the entire city,” police officer Stanley Mugisho told dpa.
Following years of conflict in the resource-rich province, M23 has made major gains in recent weeks, also seizing parts of South Kivu Province to the
immediate south.
According to UN figures from last week, the current fighting has displaced 400,000 people.
On Sunday, Kenyan President William Ruto, current head of the East African Community (EAC), called an extraordinary summit within 48 hours to discuss
the conflict.
“The escalating deteriorating peace and security situation in the DRC is of grave concern,” Ruto posted on X, referring to the country by its formal
name Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The EAC trade bloc includes the DRC and Rwanda, along with six other countries in the region.
GNA