On Friday, the army confirmed that the Rwandan -backed M23 rebels killed a military ruler as they were progressing through the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
M23 fighters were wounded by General Peter Peter Serimmami, the governor of the northern state of Kivu, when visiting the confrontation line on Thursday.
Army spokesman, General Silvan Icing, said that he had been transferred to the capital Kinshasa for his treatment abroad, but “he surrendered to his injuries.”
The fighting between the M23 and the Dr Congo army has intensified since the beginning of the year, as the rebels took control of more lands more than ever.
More than 400,000 people have escaped their homes since the beginning of this year as M23 advanced in the city of Guma, according to United Nations reports.
While moving towards Goma, M23 seized the cities of Masisi and Minova.
Local leaders said on Thursday that more than 200 civilians were killed in the areas it seized M23.
Hospitals in Goma treat hundreds of injured patients.
According to the United Nations, two children died after bombs fell on a camp for the displaced.
Human Rights Watch warned against escalating risks to civilians as the Congolese army fights the M23. The humanitarian group accuses two aspects of serious violations against civilians.
The United Nations has warned that the ongoing conflict is getting worse for the humanitarian crisis in the region.
As a result of these turmoil, Congolese President Felix Chesikde summed his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he returned on Thursday to hold urgent security meetings with senior officials.
General Icing said that President Chesikdi gave instructions to the army “tracking the enemy that attacks us, pushing them away from Goma, and following them in all national lands.”
The fall of Goma – a city of more than one million people located near the border with Rwanda – will be a major coup for the rebels. They seized the city shortly during a rebellion in 2012, but they withdrew after mediating in a deal.
Many roads leading to the city have now been banned, which raised fears that the city’s food supplies may run out.
“The city of Guma is held in a deputy, and the city is strangled, and there are no entrances to more entrances, and there are no longer exits … this population suffers greatly,”
Espoir Ngalukiye, a member of the opposition party, Pour La Republique, is also concerned with food access.
Mr. Nagaluki said: “In Guma, we are not real safe.” “No one lives in Goma can tell you that he is not afraid.”
During the past few days, the United States, the United Kingdom and France have advised all their citizens to leave Guma as soon as possible.
General Cirimwami, the ruler of North Kivu, was named in 2023, in charge of ending contracts for conflict in the region. At that time, there were some criticisms to appoint a military ruler.
Before that, as a military commander, General CIIMWAMI went against President Chesikdi’s desires and cooperated with the FDLR armed group in the battle against M23, according to the United Nations.
Some of the leaders of FDLR were linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and the group was accused of human rights violations of Dr. Congo.
Rwanda has repeatedly accused the Congolese authorities of working with FDLR, and it invaded twice her largest neighbor, saying that she was chasing those who committed genocide.
On Thursday, the M23 rebels seized the nearby town of SAKE, according to the United Nations, the United Kingdom and various other sources.
But the Congolese army said it had endured the attack on Saki, which is located only 20 km (12 miles) from Goma.
Al -Saki and the wider region – many of whom have already escaped because of the conflict – have fled their homes.
People escape bearing mattresses and other basics on their backs, while dozens accumulate in crowded wooden boats.
Thousands of families with panic fled to Ghauma, as hospitals were flooded with injured civilians.
The M23 has controlled vast areas of the Eastern Congo rich in minerals since 2021. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.
Last year, he was also afraid that the rebels would take over Guma. There was calm in the fighting in late July, but heavy fighting resumed in October, and was exacerbated at the end of the year.
Dr. Congo and the United Nations say M23 is supported by Rwanda. The Rwandan authorities do not confirm or deny this.
UN experts say Rwanda has between 3000 and 4000 soldiers working alongside M23 in the eastern Congo.
United Nations Secretary -General Antonio Guterres has warned that the current conflict risked an escalation to a broader regional war.
A statement said that Mr. Guterres called “all actors to respect sovereignty and regional integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and put an end to all forms of support for armed groups.”
Additional reports by Richard Kago
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/b646/live/44e13a90-da43-11ef-a37f-eba91255dc3d.jpg
2025-01-25 09:28:00