M23 rebels, with the support of Rwandan forces, have launched a new attack in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), heightening tensions ahead of a high-level crisis summit between the presidents of the two nations. The UN said at least 2,900 have died in Goma, the city occupied by M23 and Rwandan troops last week, up from a previous estimate of 900 deaths.
M23 fighters and Rwandan troops have gone back on declaring a unilateral ceasefire, set to come into force on Tuesday. They have occupied a mining town in South Kivu province and are pressing toward the capital, Bukavu. Confrontations took place near Nyabibwe, 100 km from Bukavu. Military reinforcements are said to be arriving. Spokesman Patrick Muyaya of the Democratic Republic of the Congo government characterized the ceasefire declaration as a “ploy” with M23 pushing forward.
Violence in the region has compounded an already grave humanitarian crisis in the region, with more than 2,000 bodies recovered in Goma and numerous casualty cases expected. The takeover of Goma marked a new height in the years of conflict that has ravaged this mineral-rich land. In the city of Bukavu with one million residents, locals went to prayers to call for peace as there are growing fears the city could be the new battleground.
The presidents of the DRC and Rwanda are set to meet at a summit in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, but the conflict is showing little signs of abating. The UN and international bodies, including the EU and regional organizations, are pushing for a peaceful resolution, though DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner lamented that declarations have yet to translate into meaningful action.
Experts have said that part of Rwanda’s interest in the M23 conflict is based on its mineral interests in the DRC.