'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - Gunfire reverberated across Goma, the largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels claimed to have seized control on Monday, defying international calls for peace. The move has been described by the DRC government as a “declaration of war” by Rwanda, intensifying tensions in the region.
The M23 rebel group announced their takeover of Goma just before a 48-hour ultimatum issued to Congolese troops to surrender their weapons expired. The rebel alliance urged Goma residents to remain calm and ordered the Congolese military to gather at the city’s central stadium.
Witnesses confirmed seeing heavily armed rebels entering Goma’s center, with one sharing a video of armed men patrolling the streets. The UN reported that the capture of Goma, a city of over two million people, has caused “mass panic,” forcing thousands to flee.
DRC government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya confirmed the presence of Rwandan forces in Goma and called on residents to stay indoors to avoid looting and violence. “The government continues to work to avoid carnage and loss of human life in view of the manifest intentions of Rwanda,” he said in a statement.
The takeover of Goma comes amid reports of exchanges of fire between Congolese and Rwandan troops along their shared border, raising fears of a broader regional conflict. At an emergency United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Sunday, DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner accused Rwanda of deploying thousands of troops and providing significant firepower, including missiles and snipers, to support the M23 offensive.
“This is a frontal assault, a declaration of war that no longer hides behind diplomatic artifice,” Wagner stated, calling for international sanctions on Rwanda.
Kigali, however, dismissed the allegations, blaming the DRC for the escalation. “The fighting close to the Rwandan border continues to present a serious threat to Rwanda’s security and territorial integrity and necessitates Rwanda’s sustained defensive posture,” Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for Rwanda to withdraw its forces from the DRC, but Kigali has rejected the demand. The UNSC, while urging the withdrawal of “external forces,” stopped short of explicitly naming Rwanda.
The escalating crisis has drawn international concern, with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame agreeing to attend a peace meeting on Wednesday, hosted by Kenya’s President William Ruto.
The conflict in Goma marks the latest chapter in the decades-long instability in eastern DRC, plagued by ethnic disputes, regional rivalries, and armed militias. The M23 advance has exacerbated one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, displacing thousands of people and intensifying fears of a full-scale regional war.
The UN has reported the deaths of about a dozen peacekeepers in the escalating clashes. Meanwhile, the DRC has severed diplomatic ties with Rwanda, underscoring the gravity of the conflict.
As the crisis unfolds, the international community continues to push for a peaceful resolution while the people of Goma face a precarious and uncertain future.
