Photo credit: Aljazeera
Rebels of the M23 movement say they have taken control of the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s east.
BBC reports that residents shared videos of M23 rebels patrolling Goma’s main streets following a lightning advance against the Congolese army on Sunday that saw tens of thousands of people fleeing neighbouring towns.
After hours of gunfire and explosions, the streets of Goma are now quiet, according to local media reports.
This comes after DR Congo’s foreign minister accused Rwanda of declaring war by sending troops over the border to support M23 rebels. Rwanda says Kinshasa supports militias who want regime change in Kigali.
Kenya has called for a ceasefire and announced that the presidents of both nations will attend an emergency regional summit in the next two days.
Kenyan President William Ruto who is the current chair of the East African Community said it was incumbent on regional leaders to help facilitate a peaceful to the conflict.
The M23 group has taken control of vast parts of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo since 2021. In the past few weeks, the group has been advancing swiftly on Goma amid intense fighting.
Since the start of 2025, more than 400,000 people have been displaced in north and south Kivu, near the border with Rwanda, according to the UN’s refugee agency.
key roads around Goma are blocked and the city’s airport can no longer be used for evacuation and humanitarian efforts, according to the UN.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Rwanda to withdraw its forces from the DR Congo’s territory and on the M23 rebels to stop their advance.
The UK has called for an end to attacks on peacekeepers, while France’s UN representative Nicolas de Riviere has reiterated Guterres’ call for Rwanda to withdraw its troops from the DR Congo.
