GOMA: An armed group backed by Rwandan troops took control of the airport in the besieged DR Congo city of Goma while protesters complaining of international inaction over the crisis attacked several embassies in the capital Kinshasa, dealing a major blow to Congolese forces and putting the regional capital on the brink of falling on Tuesday.

The embassies of Rwanda, France, Belgium, the United States, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa were among those targeted, with demonstrators torching tyres outside several.

The main city has become a battleground since fighters from the Tutsi-led M23 armed group and Rwandan forces entered central Goma on Sunday night after a weeks-long advance through the region.

Intense fighting has left bodies in the streets and overwhelmed hospitals in Goma. It has not been clear which parts of Goma were under the control of Congolese forces or the Rwanda-backed M23, which claimed it had taken the city on Sunday night. But a security source said M23 fighters had taken the airport on Tuesday, adding that “more than 1,200 Congolese soldiers have surrendered and are confined” to the airport base of the UN’s mission in DRC.

Protesters storm several embassies against ‘inaction’ of international powers

Seventeen people have been killed and 367 wounded during two days of fighting, according to reports.

At an emergency meeting on Tuesday, the African Union (AU) called on the M23 to “lay down arms”.

After a previous UNSC meeting on Sunday, the Congolese government expressed “dismay” at the Council’s “vague” statement. The DRC accused Rwanda of wanting to profit from the region’s abundant minerals, calling for stronger UN action.

Rwanda has denied the claims, saying its aim is to tackle an armed group called the FDLR, formed in the wake of the Rwandan genocide.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2025