Rwandan-backed rebels marched into Goma, the largest city in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on Jan. 27, in the worst escalation in long-running hostilities for more than a decade.
A rebel alliance spearheaded by the ethnic Tutsi-led M23 militia stated that it had occupied the lakeside city of more than 2 million people for the first time since 2012.
Congolese troops also exchanged gunfire with the Rwandan military across the nearby border between the two Central African nations.
Residents reported hearing or seeing clashes between government-aligned militia and M23 fighters in other areas, too.
As the rebels entered Goma, a fire at the Munzenze prison resulted in the escape of thousands of inmates.
“All the prisoners who were detained came out; whether women, men, or minors, everyone came out,” Mwamisyo Ndungo, one of the escapees who estimated that more than 2,000 fled the facility, told the Associated Press.
The Congolese government acknowledged the presence of M23 rebels in Goma, which lies about 930 miles east of the capital Kinshasa, but stopped short of confirming that they were in control of the city.
“No centimeter will be given up!!!” Muyaya wrote.
Congo accused Rwanda of sending troops into its territory and threatening “carnage” and urged residents of Goma to stay at home and refrain from looting.
The M23 rebels are one of about 100 militias currently trying to establish a power base in the region.
The name refers to the March 23, 2009, agreement that ended a previous uprising in the region.
The group was formed in 2012 following a failed attempt to integrate ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army.
It claims that it took up arms against Congolese forces to defend the Tutsis from discrimination but has often talked about targeting the Congolese government.
After a decade of inactivity, the group resurfaced in late 2021, with its leaders accusing the Congolese government of neglecting its commitments to demobilize and integrate Congolese Tutsis into the country’s army and administration.
Its number has now swelled from hundreds to about 6,500 fighters, according to the United Nations.
That failure, it stated, has prolonged the fighting that continues to present “a serious threat to Rwanda’s security and territorial integrity, and necessitates Rwanda’s sustained defensive posture.”
Rwanda’s government is predominantly composed of ethnic Tutsis and has been since the minority group took control of the country in 1994 in the wake of a bloody civil war and a genocide conducted by the majority Hutus.
“The members of the Security Council condemned the ongoing flagrant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC,” the U.N. statement reads.
The response from the U.N. came amid news that at least 13 U.N. peacekeepers had been killed in the hostilities over the past week.
The U.N. peacekeeping force, also known as MONUSCO, entered Congo more than two decades ago and has 14,000 peacekeepers currently on the ground.
South Africa said nine of its soldiers were killed while deterring the advance, along with three Malawian troops and one Uruguayan.
Other nations including the United States, the UK, and France have also condemned the advance of the rebels.
Roughly equivalent in area to Western Europe, Congo, a former Belgian colony, is home to 100 million people, and its bountiful mineral wealth has long made it a place of interest for both Western companies and Chinese Communist Party-backed entities, as well as rival armed militias.
