M23 rebels, supported by Rwandan troops, have captured the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, forcing thousands to flee. This victory is a major setback for Western efforts to end the conflict and raises fears of a wider war between Congo and Rwanda.
Rwanda n security officers escort members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , who surrendered in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo , following fighting between M23 rebels and the FARDC, in Gisenyi, Rwanda , Jan. 27, 2025.Goma, a crowded city of two million residents and several hundred thousand refugees near the Rwanda n border, has been under siege by the M23 militia and its Rwanda n allies for the past year.
At least nine South African soldiers, along with several from other countries, were killed in the defence of Goma last week. By Monday, the UN peacekeepers and southern African forces were holed up at Goma’s airport and at other fortified bases in the region, while M23 claimed control of the city and demanded the surrender of their enemies. The airport was shut down and it was unclear if any supply flights could reach it.
The Canadian government, in a statement on the weekend, called for a halt in the violence but did not make any mention of Rwanda’s role. Instead it made a vague reference to “foreign troops on Congolese territory” without identifying them. The statement condemned the killing of several UN peacekeepers in the fighting in Goma and threatened possible sanctions against anyone who helped in the attacks on peacekeepers.
There are fears that the M23 capture of Goma would trigger a broader war between Congo and Rwanda. Troops from the two countries were exchanging fire across their border on Monday, according to a Reuters report, citing UN sources. Rwanda later alleged that Congolese artillery shelling had killed five people in a Rwandan town.
RWANDA CONGO M23 REBELS MILITARY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
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