Gunfire broke out in Goma, eastern Congo, on Monday after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels claimed control of the city, despite the United Nations Security Council’s calls for an immediate end to the offensive. The fighting, which has displaced tens of thousands of people, has escalated in recent days, with residents reporting gunfire in the northern and central parts of Goma.
A mass jailbreak took place early Monday at a local prison, which was reportedly set on fire during the escape. According to a security source, the incident resulted in multiple deaths.
The M23 rebels, who have been making swift advances against the Congolese army, declared the city’s liberation a success and said the situation was under control. The rebels had demanded that government troops surrender by 03:00 local time, and 100 Congolese soldiers handed their weapons over to Uruguayan peacekeepers from the UN mission (MONUSCO).
MONUSCO staff and their families were evacuated to Rwanda on Monday morning, where buses were arranged to transport them.
France condemned Rwanda’s actions, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot calling for an immediate halt to the offensive. Barrot expressed France’s solidarity with the Democratic Republic of Congo as he arrived for the Council of European Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
Kenya’s President William Ruto, chair of the East African Community, announced an emergency summit for regional leaders to discuss the crisis.
The UN Security Council held urgent talks on Sunday as the conflict worsens, contributing to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. UN experts claim Rwanda has deployed 3,000 to 4,000 troops to support the M23, along with significant firepower, including missiles and snipers. The M23, a Tutsi-led rebel group, says its mission is to protect the Tutsi ethnic population in the DRC.
Rwanda has denied backing the rebels, claiming that the fighting near its border poses a direct threat to its security and accusing the DRC of triggering the recent escalation.
