M23 rebels continue their advance towards Goma in eastern Congo, triggering widespread panic and displacement. The Congolese army battles the rebels, with heavy casualties reported in both sides. The UN estimates up to 4,000 Rwandan forces are in Congo, fueling accusations of Rwandan backing for M23, though Rwanda denies these claims.
Panic gripped Goma on Thursday as M23 rebels continued their relentless advance towards the city in eastern Congo , engaging in fierce battles with the Congo lese army. Explosions echoed in the distant outskirts, and the city's main hospital was inundated with hundreds of wounded civilians from surrounding towns and villages.
The M23 group has been making significant inroads in recent weeks, closing in on Goma, a hub of two million people and a critical center for security and humanitarian efforts in the region. M23 is one of numerous armed groups vying for control in eastern Congo, a region plagued by decades of conflict fueled by mineral wealth and instability. This conflict has resulted in one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, displacing over seven million people. Earlier this month, M23 captured the towns of Minova, Katale, and Masisi, located west of Goma. Schools in Goma were hastily closed as news of the escalating fighting spread, with students sent home fearing for their safety. Hassan Kambale, a 19-year-old high school student, expressed the widespread anxiety, saying, 'We are told that the enemy wants to enter the city. That's why we are told to go home. We are constantly waiting for the bombs.' The M23 spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, asserted on X that 'The people of Goma have suffered greatly, like other Congolese. M23 is on its way to liberate them, and they must prepare to welcome this liberation.'The situation in Sake, a town just 23 kilometers from Goma, remains highly volatile. Congolese authorities claimed to have repelled an attack from the 'Rwandan army' on Sake, although this claim remains unverified. Meanwhile, residents in Sake reported that M23 rebels had seized control of large parts of the town, sending the population into a panic. Leopold Mwisha, the president of the civil society in the Sake area, said, 'The population is in panic. The M23 now control large parts of the town.' The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa issued a warning about the escalating conflict near Sake and urged U.S. citizens in North Kivu province to remain vigilant. The United Kingdom also issued a travel advisory, stating that M23 now controls Sake and urging British nationals to evacuate Goma while roads are still accessible. Thousands of residents from Sake have joined the over 178,000 people who have fled the advance of the M23 rebels in the past two weeks. The CBCA Ndosho Hospital in Goma was overwhelmed with hundreds of new casualties on Thursday. The relentless conflict has displaced countless civilians, with many escaping by boat across Lake Kivu, arriving in Goma with harrowing tales of violence and loss
M23 Congo Goma Rwanda Armed Conflict Humanitarian Crisis Displacement Refugees
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