Rwanda-backed M23 rebels claim major Congolese city, which Congo calls a ‘declaration of war’
Rwanda-backed rebels claimed they captured eastern Congo’s largest city, Goma, early Monday, as the United Nations described a mass panic among its 2 million people and Congo’s government said the rebel advance was a “declaration of war.”
The M23 rebels announced the city’s capture in a statement minutes before a 48-hour deadline expired that had been imposed by the group for the Congolese army to surrender their weapons. Early Monday morning, gunfire was heard throughout the city, according to two aid workers sheltering there who were not authorized to speak to the media.
In a statement, the rebels urged residents of Goma to remain calm and for members of the Congolese military to assemble at the central stadium.
The M23 rebels’ offensive 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 United Nations report, over a third of the population of North Kivu province where Goma is located are currently displaced and the capture of Goma will likely exacerbate the situation...
The U.N. Security Council condemned the M23 advances in a statement late Sunday and urged the rebels to withdraw from the territory they’d claimed...
Congo’s foreign minister, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, told the Security Council that Rwanda was committing “a frontal aggression, a declaration of war which no longer hides itself behind diplomatic maneuvers.”
Rwanda’s ambassador to the U.N., Ernest Rwamucyo, did not confirm or deny Congo’s claims. He blamed Congo’s government, saying the crisis could have been been averted if it had “demonstrated a genuine commitment to peace.”
The United States and France called for a ceasefire and appealed to Rwanda to withdraw its support to M23, with acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea warning that the U.S. would “consider all the tools at its disposal” to hold accountable those responsible for sustaining the armed conflict...
The U.N. chief reiterated his “strongest condemnation” of the M23 offensive “with the support of the Rwanda Defense Forces,” and called on the rebel group to immediately halt all hostile action and withdraw, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said...