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Eyewitnesses say they saw rebels entering the center of the eastern city of Goma, while the United Nations demanded an end to the aggression.
After shooting in parts of Goma, the largest city of the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda -backed M23 rebels said that despite the UN Security Council’s demand to abolish aggression Has taken over.
The armed group announced the occupation of the city in a statement earlier in Monday, as the DRC government said that their advance was a “declaration war” by Rwanda, and the UN said that the arrest was among the two million Goma residents. The “widespread panic” has spread.
The M23 claim came a few minutes before the 48 -hour deadline, which he had given to the Congo soldiers to surrender, which expired. Its fighters also urged the residents of Goma to remain peaceful and the DRC army members to gather at the Central Stadium.
Two witnesses told Reuters news agency that the rebels had entered the center of Goma. The agency reported that one of them shared a short video showing people with heavy weapons walking on the streets.
The advance of the M23 rebel coalition has forced thousands of people to leave their homes in the East, rich in DRC minerals, and has given rise to fears that a wide regional war resumed with decades -old boiling conflict. There is a risk of
M23 fighters have been in clashes with the Congo army and UN peacekeepers on the outskirts of Goma for several days.
Fighting for the key city is the latest chapter of fighting in East DRC, a unstable area that has been struggling with regional hostility, ethnic conflicts and armed militia conflicts for more than three decades, which has the worst of the world. One of the human crises has given birth.
In a video posted on X, the DRC government spokesman Patrick Miaa called for the protection of the citizens and said the country was “in a war situation”.
Angry over M23 advance over Goma, DRC cut ties with Rwanda on Saturday and demanded UN sanctions on its neighbor.
With international pressure to end the war for Goma, Kenya announced on Sunday that DRC President Felix Tesicky and Rwanda President Paul Kagama agreed to attend a summit in the next two days.
Kenyan President William Roto appealed to the two leaders to “pay attention to the demands of the people of our region and the international community.”
Kenya’s Foreign Ministry Principal Secretary Korer Singh Oi said that the chairman of the East African Community Block will hold an emergency meeting for the heads of state on the situation.
In an emergency meeting of the UNSC on Sunday, Kanshasa’s top diplomat warned that more Rwanda’s troops were crossing the border by “open and deliberately violating” sovereignty.
“This is a front attack, a declaration of war that will no longer hide behind diplomatic art,” said DRC Foreign Minister Theres Kaikamba Wagner.
Kigali rejected statements that “no solution”, and blamed Kansasa for the recent tension.
“Fighting near Rwanda’s border is a serious threat to Rwanda’s security and territorial integrity and Rwanda needs a permanent defense,” Rwanda’s Foreign Ministry said.
UN experts say Rwanda has deployed 3,000-4,000 troops to assist M23 in fighting in the DRC and provided significant firepower, including missiles and snipers.
In a statement late on Sunday, the UNSC demanded the withdrawal of aggressive “external forces” in the region, but clearly prevented them from naming them.
The statement came after UN chief Antonio Guterres asked Rwanda to oust his armed forces from the DRC – which was rejected by Kagali.
About a dozen foreign peace soldiers have been killed in a growing clash.
