Neighbouring Rwanda is accused of backing the M23 rebel group, which has taken over much of the city, including its airport.
DR Congo’s official news agency said that Tshisekedi would not attend the heads of state summit called by Kenya’s leader in his capacity as chairman of the East African Community (EAC).
Rwanda’s leader is also a Tutsi, and accuses DR Congo’s government of harbouring Hutu militias who were involved in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
In 2022, DR Congo’s government signed contracts with two private military companies to bolster its forces against the rebels.
DR Congo’s government accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels to exploit the region’s mineral wealth, an accusation Kagame’s government denies.
On the Goma crisis, the Congolese president rejects peace negotiations.
19 hours previously.
Ian Wafula, Farouk Chothia, and Basillioh Rukanga.
the BBC News.
According to state media, President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is not participating in regionally mediated negotiations to halt the rebel attack on the strategic eastern city of Goma.
As bodies lay on the streets of Goma after intense fighting, Kenyan leader William Ruto had invited Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame to a virtual summit.
The M23 rebel group, which has taken control of much of the city, including its airport, is allegedly supported by neighboring Rwanda.
RDF said on X that about 280 Romanian mercenaries fighting alongside the DR Congo’s army had turned themselves in to M23.
Although she did not specify whether Kagame would attend, Rwanda would participate in the summit, Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo told the BBC.
Although Rwanda denies providing the rebels with direct military support, the UN claims there is substantial evidence that the country supports the M23.
What is the purpose of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
the proof that Rwanda is supporting rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Wednesday saw little activity in Goma, though there were reports of intermittent gunfire in a few districts.
After fighting for several days, residents who had been hiding in safe places went out to purchase food, which is getting harder to find.
Although they have peacekeepers in Goma, the UN and the SADC, a regional bloc from southern Africa, were unable to stop the rebel attack.
The deputy head of the UN force, Vivian van de Perre, told BBC Newshour that although the M23 rebels had “established” themselves in Goma, they were still encountering “pockets of resistance” while barricaded in a UN bunker in the city.
UN peacekeepers, she said, were beginning to move around after she had talks with the M23. She said this was “extremely urgent because some of our bases had run out of food and water and are literally sheltering thousands of people”—including some government soldiers who had surrendered.
Five diplomatic and security sources are quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying that M23 rebels are now moving toward Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern DR Congo, in what appears to be an effort to increase their territorial control. This information has not been confirmed by the BBC.
Tshisekedi will not attend the heads of state summit that Kenya’s leader, acting as the East African Community (EAC) chairman, has called for, according to the official news agency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. No explanation for his choice was provided.
Ethnic tensions should not be exacerbated by the fighting, Ms. van de Perre expressed her hope.
Her statement to the BBC was, “We have seen some evidence of ethnic tensions being on the rise and this is everybody’s worst nightmare.”.
Ethnic Tutsis, who lead the M23, claim that in order to defend the rights of the minority group in DR Congo, they had to take up arms.
DR Congo’s government is accused by Rwanda’s leader, who is also Tutsi, of harboring Hutu militias that participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
According to the UN, fighting between M23 rebels and the army and its allies has left hospitals overrun with casualties and bodies on the streets since the start of the week.
According to aid agencies, food and medical supply warehouses were also looted.
Since the start of the offensive, essential services like internet, water, and electricity have been cut off.
Protesters began attacking foreign embassies in Kinshasa, the capital, as their ire over the rebel offensive grew.
As the rebels tightened their hold on Goma, demonstrators damaged and looted at least ten embassies, calling for the international community to step in and stop the rebel attack.
After having “surrendered to M23 following the capture of the strategic city,” the Romanian mercenaries were being taken to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, according to the country’s military.
However, the Romanians sought safety at a UN base in Goma before being evacuated to Rwanda, a UN peacekeeper told the BBC.
The group’s coordinator, Constantin Timofti, told Romanian news outlet TVR that four of his men were hurt in the fighting but were doing well.
More than 250 people were among them, according to Romania’s foreign ministry on Tuesday. They were private contractors on a military training assignment for the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On Wednesday, dozens of them were observed being searched by police in Gisenyi, which is located just across the Rwandan border from Goma.
We weren’t on a combat zone. One person, who only provided the name Emile, told the AFP news agency, “We were here to train and assist with artillery.”.
“I discovered that everything is possible. I arrived. “I’m glad to return and be with my family after completing my work,” he continued.
The government of DR Congo contracted with two private military firms in 2022 to strengthen its forces in the fight against the rebels.
Up until the most recent rebel attack, the Romanian personnel had been stationed at checkpoints on the outskirts of Goma and had been instrumental in securing important installations, including the airport.
Rwanda is accused by the DR Congo’s government of supporting the rebels in their attempt to take advantage of the mineral wealth in the area, a charge that Kagame’s administration disputes.
The area is abundant in minerals like coltan, which is used to make electric vehicle batteries and cell phones, and gold.
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