Rwanda-backed rebels have reached the outskirts of Goma, Congo’s largest eastern city, triggering mass panic among its 2 million residents and prompting the Congolese government to label the incursion a “declaration of war.” The United Nations has called for urgent action, warning of a deepening humanitarian crisis in the mineral-rich region.
The airport has been shut down, and key roads in the humanitarian hub remain blocked. “We are trapped,” said Bintou Keita, the U.N.’s special representative for Congo, during an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting on Sunday.
The M23 rebel offensive threatens to worsen one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts, with millions already displaced and living in dire conditions. Over the past week, the violence has claimed the lives of 13 peacekeepers, with more than a million Congolese forced to flee their homes.
Congo severed diplomatic relations with Rwanda late Saturday, accusing it of backing the M23 rebels despite evidence presented by U.N. experts. Rwanda has denied these allegations. The surge of violence has made significant territorial gains along Congo’s border with Rwanda after months of failed peace efforts.
On Sunday night, M23 rebels demanded the Congolese army surrender and present themselves at a local stadium by 3 a.m., threatening to take the city otherwise.
Keita reported that M23 and Rwandan forces had entered the Munigi neighborhood, just 9 kilometers (5 miles) from Goma. The incursion caused widespread panic as M23 fighters reportedly used civilians as human shields, forcing others to flee.
“M23 has declared the airspace over Goma closed,” Keita said, adding that the U.N. was relocating nonessential personnel due to deteriorating security conditions.
AP
