At least 100 people have been killed in violent clashes between the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) army and M23 fighters, reportedly backed by Rwandan troops.
Reports indicate that over 1,000 wounded individuals have overwhelmed hospitals in North Kivu’s capital. Many bodies remain scattered in the city, raising urgent health concerns.
As the crisis deepens, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi is set to meet his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, at an emergency East African Community (EAC) summit in Kenya on Wednesday. The talks come as M23 fighters, with Rwandan support, advance toward the key city of Goma.
On Tuesday, the armed group seized Goma’s airport, and by nightfall, only M23 and Rwandan forces were seen patrolling the streets. The extent of M23’s control over the provincial capital remains unclear.
Security sources report that over 1,200 Congolese soldiers have surrendered and are now confined to the airport base of the UN’s mission in the DRC.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Kagame to end the hostilities immediately, a discussion the Rwandan leader later described as productive.
The M23’s rapid offensive marks a significant escalation in the conflict-ridden east of the DRC, a region still grappling with the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The ongoing violence has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis, with the UN warning of mass displacement, food shortages, looted aid, and overwhelmed medical facilities.
