The UN says at the very least 700 folks have been killed in intense combating in Goma, the most important metropolis in japanese Democratic Republic of Congo, since Sunday.
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric mentioned 2,800 folks have been injured, as M23 rebels – backed by Rwanda – captured the capital of North Kivu province.
The rebels are actually reported to be transferring south in the direction of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.
The battle in japanese DR Congo dates again to the Nineteen Nineties however has quickly escalated in latest weeks.
M23, which is made up of ethnic Tutsis, say they’re combating for minority rights, whereas DR Congo’s authorities says the Rwanda-backed rebels are in search of management of the japanese area’s huge mineral wealth.
On Friday, Dujarric mentioned the casualty figures got here from an evaluation made by the World Well being Group and its companions, alongside the DR Congo’s authorities, between Sunday and Thursday.
The UN spokesman additionally warned the demise toll would rise additional.
In an try to halt M23’s progress, the DR Congo army has arrange a defensive position on the street between Goma and Bukavu, in response to the AFP information company.
A whole bunch of civilian volunteers have been enlisted to defend Bukavu.
One younger man informed the AFP: “I’m able to die for my nation.”
Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki, the governor of South Kivu – the province M23 are marching on – informed Reuters information company the federal government military and its allies have been holding again the rebels, although that declare has not been independently verified.
Earlier this week, M23 vowed to proceed its offensive till it reached the capital Kinshasa, about 2,600km (1,600 miles) to the west.
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Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the nation’s international minister, informed the BBC that Rwanda was illegally occupying her nation and trying to orchestrate regime change.
Wagner mentioned the worldwide group had allowed Rwandan President Paul Kagame a long time of impunity and failed to carry him accountable for violating worldwide regulation.
Rwanda’s authorities spokeswoman Yolande Makolo denied the accusation, saying the nation’s troops have been solely deployed to stop the battle spilling over to its territory.
“We’re not all for conflict, we’re not all for annexation, we’re not all for regime change,” Makolo informed the BBC’s Newsday programme.
UN specialists estimated final yr that Rwanda had between 3,000 and 4,000 troops working alongside the M23 in japanese DR Congo.
On Friday, the Southern African Improvement Group (Sadc) regional bloc declared its help for DR Congo at a disaster summit in Zimbabwe.
In a press release, the 16-member group “reaffirmed its solidarity and unwavering dedication to proceed supporting the DRC in its pursuit of safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Sadc has despatched peacekeeping troops, primarily from South Africa, to DR Congo to fight armed teams just like the M23 and restore peace within the mineral-rich area after a long time of unrest.
Sixteen troopers from southern African international locations have been killed in clashes with the M23 round Goma previously week.
The combating has additionally worsened the humanitarian disaster in japanese DR Congo.
Shelley Thakral, from the UN’s World Meals Programme, mentioned town’s residents have been working out of meals, clear water and medical provides.
“The provision chain has actually been strangled for the time being if you concentrate on land entry, air entry, when all the things is closed down,” she informed AFP.
Because the begin of 2025, greater than 400,000 folks have been compelled from their houses, in response to the UN’s refugee company.
DR Congo is Africa’s second-largest nation – about two-thirds the dimensions of Western Europe – and borders 9 completely different international locations.
Earlier conflicts within the nation through the Nineteen Nineties drew in a number of neighbours and have been dubbed Africa’s World Wars.
