We will continue the march to freedom all the way to Kinshasa, says Corneille Nangaa, leader of a coalition of groups including M23, to reporters in Goma.
The Rwanda-backed rebel movement M23 has taken control of most of the regional capital Goma in eastern Congo in just a few days – a dramatic escalation of a conflict that has been ongoing for over ten years.
With the threat of continuing all the way to the capital over 200 miles west, the situation is escalating further.
Attempt at Ceasefire
On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot traveled to Congo-Kinshasa to discuss the ongoing offensive with President Félix Tshisekedi, according to Congolese government sources.
And on Friday, the 16 countries of the African cooperation organization SADC will hold an extraordinary summit in Harare, Zimbabwe, due to the acute situation.
During the meeting, leaders are expected to decide whether forces from Malawi, South Africa, and Tanzania will be withdrawn from the area, according to a source for the South African online newspaper Daily Maverick. The SADC-led forces, which include around 2,900 soldiers, have been in Congo-Kinshasa since 2023.
Caused Mass Exodus
At least 13 South African soldiers and 3 soldiers from Malawi have been killed since last Friday. According to AFP's compilation of data from local hospitals, over 100 people have been killed and up to 1,000 injured in Goma in just a few days.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says he has spoken with Rwandan President Paul Kagame twice in the past few days to demand a ceasefire.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee due to the recent clashes, many of them to Rwanda.
