Goma, Congo
Associated Press
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Congo has cut diplomatic relations with Rwanda as fighting between Rwanda -backed rebels and government forces continues around the eastern city of Goma, killing at least 13 peacekeepers and foreign soldiers and thousands of civilians. Home on.
The M23 rebel group has achieved significant regional achievements along the border along with Rwanda in recent weeks, with the locked in the provincial capital Goma, which has a population of about 2 million and is a regional center of security and human efforts.
Congo, the United States and the UN experts have accused Rwanda of backing M23, which is primarily ethnic, which was separated from the Congo army more than a decade ago. It is one of the about 100 armed groups that are trying to step into the mineral -rich region, where a long -lasting conflict has led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
The Congo Foreign Ministry said late on Saturday that it was cutting diplomatic relations with Rwanda and was expelling all diplomatic staff from the country.
Rwanda’s government refuses to back the rebels, but last year acknowledged that it had military and missile systems to protect its security in the eastern Congo, leading to the formation of Congo’s forces near the border. There is a signal. UN experts estimate that Rwanda has 4,000 forces in the Congo.
Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Oliver Nadehongrey told the Associated Press on Sunday that the decision to cut diplomatic relations was a unilateral move of the Congo “which was also published on social media before being sent to our embassy.”
“For us, we took appropriate steps to remove the rest of our diplomat in Kansasa, which was a constant threat by the Congo officials. He was acquired, “he said.
The UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting on Sunday over growing violence in East Congo. The Congo requested the meeting, which was actually scheduled on Monday.
On Sunday morning, just a few kilometers (miles) from the frontline, severe bullets were heard in Goma, while the number of displaced children and adults, the largest camp in East Congo, just near the Rwanda border. The Karniachia fled the camp. From south to Goma.
“We are running because we saw soldiers throwing bombs and shooting at the border with Rwanda,” Safi Shangwi said, who were heading to Goma.
“We are tired and we are scared, our children are in danger of dying,” he added.
Some homeless people fear that they will not be safe in Goma.
“We’re going to Goma, but I have heard that there are bombs in Goma too, so we don’t know where to go,” said Adele Shami.
On Sunday, hundreds of people tried to flee to Rwanda via the “Great Barrier” border crossing east of Goma. Migration officers checked the travel documents carefully.
“I am crossing the other side to see if we have a refuge, because there is no security guarantee in the city, a resident of Goma told the AP.
Earlier in the week, the rebels seized 27 km (16 miles) from Goma, as they had increased fears that the city could soon collapse.
The Congo army said Saturday that it stopped the M23 attack with the help of coalition forces, including the UN squad and a Samidrc of the South African Development Community Mission, also known as the Samidrc.
The South African Ministry of Defense said in a statement Saturday that two Samidirc’s seven South African troops, as well as two UN peacekeepers, have been killed in recent days.
A UN official told The Associated Press that a Uruguayan soldier was also killed on Saturday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Meanwhile, the UN in Malawi said that Malawi’s three peacekeepers were killed.
Since 2021, the Congo government and coalition forces, including the Samidrc and the UN, have been keeping M23 away from Goma.
The UN peacekeeping army entered the Congo more than two decades ago and has about 14,000 peace forces.
