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Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) President Felix Tshisekedi has cut short his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos to address the intensifying conflict in the country’s east, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized significant territory.
Since the start of the year, fighting in the mineral-rich eastern region has displaced more than 400,000 people, with the M23 advancing on the provincial capital, Goma. The United Nations confirmed that two children died when bombs fell on a camp for displaced people, while local leaders report over 200 civilians killed in rebel-occupied areas.
The M23 rebels recently captured key towns, including Masisi and Minova in North Kivu, and on Thursday reportedly seized the town of Sake, just 20 km (12 miles) from Goma. However, the Congolese army claims to have repelled the attack.
Residents fleeing Sake and other affected areas are carrying essentials on their backs, while overcrowded wooden boats are ferrying families toward Goma. The city, home to over a million people, is now in a precarious position. Key roads leading to Goma have been blocked, raising fears of a humanitarian crisis as food supplies dwindle.
“The town of Goma is suffocated—there are no entrances or exits,”. Espoir Ngalukiye, an opposition party member, echoed these concerns, saying, “No one in Goma feels safe.”
Hospitals in Goma are overwhelmed as thousands of panicked families arrive seeking refuge.
The M23 rebellion, which reignited in 2021, has seen the group take control of large swathes of eastern DR Congo. A similar situation unfolded in 2012 when the rebels briefly captured Goma before withdrawing under a brokered deal.
The DR Congo and the United Nations accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, though Kigali neither confirms nor denies these allegations.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the conflict risks escalating into a broader regional war. In a statement, he urged all parties to respect DR Congo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to cease support for armed groups.
As President Tshisekedi holds urgent security meetings, the fate of Goma hangs in the balance, with fears of an imminent humanitarian disaster growing by the day.
