- M23 spokesman tells Anadolu his fighters ‘in control’ of Goma; claim remains unconfirmed- Kinshasa says eastern city bordering Rwanda not fully taken by rebels- US closes diplomatic mission, urges nationals to leave after Kinshasa sees protests against western embassies
KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo/ JOHANNESBURG, South Africa
More than two dozen people were killed and hundreds injured in fighting between M23 rebels and government forces in eastern Congo, residents said Tuesday.
Civil society members and NGOs working in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, said the clashes have left some 25 people dead and 375 others injured since Monday
Anadolu could not independently confirm the number of casualties while the government based in the national capital of Kinshasa said late Monday it was “working to prevent any carnage.”
The government said Rwandan forces were present in Goma and vowed to secure the city, where thousands have been displaced due to the rebel offensive.
Residents said the Public Port of Goma was under attack by the rebels while the provincial airport of Goma was still under the control of the Congolese army.
M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma told Anadolu via telephone late Tuesday that his fighters were “in control of the city of Goma.”
“I am in Goma now. Everything is very nice, very good and there is no problem,” he said. “Total control my brother … there is no problem,” he said, but refused to confirm if the city of 3 million was under full control of the M23 rebels, allegedly backed by Rwanda.
Ngoma claimed earlier Tuesday on X that the M23 had taken control of the Goma airport.
“Goma airport is completely secured by lions,” he said, referring to M23 rebels.
Anadolu could not independently confirm if the rebels had taken the airport, while the government in Kinshasa said Monday that Goma "did not completely fall" to the rebels.
Earlier, government forces had retaken control of national television, which was taken over by the rebels on Monday.
Goma appears to be controlled by rebels and government forces, locals said.
It remains unclear, however, who is in full control of Goma, which has seen the displacement of thousands of people in recent days. Many have fled to Rwanda.
Western diplomatic missions under attack in Kinshasa
In Kinshasa, angry protestors attacked the diplomatic missions of France, the US, Belgium, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa.
The US closed its embassy to the public until further orders and urged American citizens to leave Congo.
While urging against violence, the government in Kinshasa alleged that attacks on embassies were carried out by “Rwandan infiltrators who attacked the embassies of France and Uganda in particular.”
“The Congolese demonstrated as usual in a peaceful manner,” a Congolese official claimed in a video.
A spokesman of the Rwandan government dismissed those claims by Kinshasa as "pure buffoonery."
While Kigali denies it is backing the rebels, officials in Rwanda claimed that nine of its nationals were also killed in alleged cross-border fire from Congo.
The Rwandan army also said more than 120 Congolese soldiers have been disarmed near Gisemyi, Rwanda, amid clashes with the rebels.
Internet watchdog NetBlocks said Monday that metrics show an ongoing disruption to connectivity at the Goma internet exchange.
Large parts without water and electricity
According to rights watchdog, Save The Children, large parts of Goma have been "without water and electricity since Friday, and parents have no food or clean water for their children."
"People are trying to flee but with nowhere to go," it said in a statement.
Goma is home to about 3 million people, including 1 million displaced people. Save the Children estimates more than half of those -- or over 1.5 million -- are children.
It said that children have already been affected by the chaos in and out of Goma, with four children wounded by explosives in the town of Minova last week and a baby injured in an attack on a hospital in Goma on Monday.
“The situation is confusing, complex, and horrific. There is no safe place to go from Goma. Every time a family flees the guns and bombs to a supposed safe place, they are forced to move again," said Greg Ramm, the country head of Save the Children.
At least 17 peacekeepers from the Southern African Development Community regional force and the UN mission in Congo were killed since the renewed offensive by M23 rebels last week.
Congo and others accuse neighboring Rwanda of backing the group. Rwanda, however, denies the allegations.
M23 says it is defending the interests of minority Congolese Tutsis, who say they are discriminated against for their ethnic links to Rwanda’s Tutsi community.
