KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo/ ISTANBUL
Tensions remain high but no major escalation was reported Friday in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Goma city which M23 rebels claim to control.
Residents said there was no major fighting while the Kinshasa government vowed to reclaim the city, home to around 3 million people and the capital of North Kivu province bordering Rwanda, which is accused of backing the M23 rebels.
Kigali has denied backing the rebels.
Julien Paluku Kahongya, Congolese foreign trade minister and former governor of North Kive, told Anadolu that the world “should realize that it is the plundering of Congolese minerals (3T minerals and gold) by the Kigali regime that continues in North and South Kivu.”
He accused the Rwandan army of allegedly “shooting down UN helicopters, killing peacekeepers and cutting off water and electricity in Goma.
“Is that still not enough for the international community to take action against Kagame?” he asked, referring to Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
Kinshasa blamed Kigali of sending troops to Goma when the rebels launched its latest offensive to take over Goma.
On Thursday, M23 political chief Corneille Nangaa addressed a news conference in Goma to assert control over the city and said the group was ready for talks with Kinshasa. The Congolese government rejected the offer.
Top French diplomat visits Rwanda
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot met Friday with Kagame in the Rwandan capital of Kigali.
The two sides discussed “strong bilateral ties and strategies to foster peace in the region,” according to a statement from the Rwandan presidency.
Barrot’s trip to Kigali came one day after he visited Kinshasa where he met Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi.
Angry protestors attacked the diplomatic mission Tuesday of France and the US among others in Kinshasa because of the M23 offensive in Goma.
The M23 claimed control of Goma after clashes killed more than 100 people, including 17 peacekeepers.
Thousands have also been displaced, many of whom have fled to Rwanda, including staff of international organizations such as the UN and the World Bank.
The offensive is a major escalation in Congo's troubled east. The M23, one of the armed groups vying for control in the mineral-rich region, re-emerged in 2022.
Amid tensions in North Kivu province, military in bordering Uganda said Friday that it will maintain a “forward defensive posture” in its operating area “until the crisis is over and things return to normal.”
“The aim of the measure will be to deter and deny the numerous other negative armed groups operating in eastern DRC from exploiting the situation, and to safe guard and secure Uganda’s interests,” it said.
