In response to a youth collective’s “Paralyze the City” demand, protesters target the US, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, France, and Belgium embassies to criticize the “inaction” of the international community regarding the M23 rebels’ lightning onslaught in Goma city.
More than 100 people have been killed in Goma city after three days of fighting between the DRC army and M23 fighters who are allegedly aided by Rwandan soldiers, according to an AFP count of deaths from the eastern Congolese city’s hospitals. The conflict has caused public outrage in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC.
Nearly 1,000 combat casualties have also overrun hospitals in the capital of the mineral-rich North Kivu province. A medical professional who spoke to AFP on Tuesday stated that “many bodies are still in the city” and that they “must be recovered as soon as possible” to prevent sanitary hazards.
In the meantime, chaotic protests against the “inaction” of the international community over the crisis raging in Goma were held Tuesday in the capital, Kinshasa, and featured burning tires, looted supermarkets, and vandalized embassies.
Hundreds of irate protesters, on motorbikes or walking, gathered in the posh neighborhood of Gombe in the north of Kinshasa in response to a youth collective’s appeal to “Paralyze the City.” They targeted the US, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, France, and Belgium embassies.
The rebel organization M23, which captured the regional capital Goma on Sunday following a lightning onslaught in North Kivu province with the purported assistance of Rwandan troops, was accused of receiving active support from Rwanda and Uganda.
After fierce street fights, they had taken over its airport on Tuesday. Some of the world’s most mineral-rich regions may be reached from Goma.
Three Malawian soldiers, a UN peacekeeper, and thirteen South African peacekeepers have also been killed in the confrontations.
The protesters charged that the other nations had failed to respond diplomatically.
“Enough is enough” and “We’re going to blow this place up.” In front of the structure housing the Rwandan embassy in Kinshasa, one protester yelled, “Today, we’re going to finish with Rwanda,” amid cheers.
Following attacks on their diplomatic missions in Kinshasa, where the federal government claimed Rwandan forces were present during the seizure, African nations swiftly denounced the actions.
The protesters charged that the other nations had failed to respond diplomatically.
“Enough is enough” and “We’re going to blow this place up.” In front of the structure housing the Rwandan embassy in Kinshasa, one protester yelled, “Today, we’re going to finish with Rwanda,” amid cheers.
Following attacks on their diplomatic missions in Kinshasa, where the federal government claimed Rwandan forces were present during the seizure, African nations swiftly denounced the actions.
The fighting continues.
Parts of the three-million-person metropolis, including internally displaced people, are under the authority of M23 rebels and government forces, according to Goma residents.
Large reserves of precious materials, including as tin, gold, and coltan, which are essential for international industries like electronics, can be found in the eastern Congo. According to analysts, the M23 rebels hope to seize control of those resources in order to finance their activities and have negotiating leverage with the government.
The group asserts that complaints regarding purported discrimination against Tutsi groups in the area are another factor fueling its battle. They contend that their complaints have not been addressed by the DRC government, especially those pertaining to their safety and military integration.
However, the M23 is accused by the DRC government of using outside assistance, especially from Rwanda, a neighbor, to destabilize the region.There is a chance that
Late Tuesday, Willy Ngoma, the spokesperson for M23, informed Anadolu Agency over the phone that his forces were “in control of the city of Goma.”
“I’m currently in Goma. There are no issues, and everything is excellent,” he remarked. He stated, “Total control my brother … there is no problem,” but he would not say whether the M23 rebels had complete control of the city.
He claimed that “Goma airport is completely secured by lions,” alluding to M23 extremists.
On Monday, however, the Kinshasa administration said that Goma “did not completely fall” to the rebels.
Following the breakdown of the most recent peace negotiations mediated by Angola in December, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week extended an invitation to Türkiye to serve as a mediator between Kinshasa and Kigali.
