GOMA, Jan 26, (V7N) – The UN Security Council is set to convene an emergency meeting on Sunday as fighting intensifies in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels continue their advance toward Goma, a strategic city with over a million residents.

The resource-rich North and South Kivu provinces have been battlegrounds for three decades, with M23 emerging as one of the most powerful armed groups. Since 2021, M23 has seized large swathes of territory, displacing hundreds of thousands and worsening a dire humanitarian crisis.

The situation has deteriorated further since December 2024, when peace talks between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Etienne Tshisekedi were abruptly canceled.

Diplomatic Fallout and International Condemnation
The DRC announced the withdrawal of its diplomats from Kigali, accusing Rwanda of supporting M23 in violation of international law. Congolese army spokesman General Sylvain Ekenge accused Rwanda of aiming to seize Goma, adding, "Our forces are working to push back the enemy."

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, called on Rwanda to cease its support for M23 and withdraw its forces, while the African Union and French President Emmanuel Macron urged an immediate cessation of hostilities.

Angolan President João Lourenço, mediating for the African Union, denounced M23’s actions and warned of their harmful impact on regional stability.

Peacekeepers and Civilians Under Siege
The conflict has claimed the lives of 13 peacekeepers, with South Africa reporting nine fatalities, including seven from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional force and two UN peacekeepers. Malawi confirmed the deaths of three soldiers, while Uruguay reported one peacekeeper killed and four injured.

MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, reported heavy fighting and deployed its Quick Reaction Forces, using heavy artillery against M23 positions.

In Goma, distant artillery explosions were heard in the city center, while burned-out MONUSCO vehicles lined the road to Sake, a hotspot of intense clashes.

The humanitarian toll is staggering, with 400,000 people displaced in January alone. The UN has begun evacuating non-essential staff from Goma to Uganda and Kinshasa, while Western nations, including the US, UK, France, and Germany, have urged their citizens to leave.

A planned December meeting between Tshisekedi and Kagame, part of an Angola-led peace process, collapsed after Rwanda demanded the DRC engage directly with M23, which Kinshasa refused.

Rwanda maintains that dialogue between the DRC government and the rebels, whom it describes as an “aggrieved Congolese community,” is the only way to achieve peace.

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of the risk of a broader regional war, with the ongoing conflict exacerbating tensions between DRC and Rwanda. As international pressure mounts, all eyes are on Sunday’s Security Council meeting, which aims to prevent further destabilization in the region.

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