DR Congo battle: Not less than 700 killed since Sunday, says UN

The UN says a minimum of 700 folks have been killed in intense combating in Goma, the biggest metropolis in jap Democratic Republic of Congo, since Sunday.

UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric mentioned 2,800 folks have been injured, as M23 rebels – backed by Rwanda – captured the capital of North Kivu province.

The rebels at the moment are reported to be transferring south in direction of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.

The battle in jap DR Congo dates again to the Nineteen Nineties however has quickly escalated in latest weeks.

M23, which is made up of ethnic Tutsis, say they’re combating for minority rights, whereas DR Congo’s authorities says the Rwanda-backed rebels are searching for management of the jap area’s huge mineral wealth.

On Friday, Dujarric mentioned the casualty figures got here from an evaluation made by the World Well being Group and its companions, alongside the DR Congo’s authorities, between Sunday and Thursday.

The UN spokesman additionally warned the loss of life toll would rise additional.

In an try and halt M23’s progress, the DR Congo navy has arrange a defensive position on the street between Goma and Bukavu, based on the AFP information company.

Lots of of civilian volunteers have been enlisted to defend Bukavu.

One younger man instructed the AFP: “I’m able to die for my nation.”

Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki, the governor of South Kivu – the province M23 are marching on – instructed Reuters information company the federal government military and its allies have been holding again the rebels, although that declare has not been independently verified.

Earlier this week, M23 vowed to proceed its offensive till it reached the capital Kinshasa, about 2,600km (1,600 miles) to the west.

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the nation’s overseas minister, instructed the BBC that Rwanda was illegally occupying her nation and making an attempt to orchestrate regime change.

Wagner mentioned the worldwide group had allowed Rwandan President Paul Kagame a long time of impunity and failed to carry him accountable for violating worldwide legislation.

Rwanda’s authorities spokeswoman Yolande Makolo denied the accusation, saying the nation’s troops have been solely deployed to forestall the battle spilling over to its territory.

“We’re not interested by warfare, we’re not interested by annexation, we’re not interested by regime change,” Makolo instructed the BBC’s Newsday programme.

UN specialists estimated final 12 months that Rwanda had between 3,000 and 4,000 troops working alongside the M23 in jap DR Congo.

On Friday, the Southern African Growth Group (Sadc) regional bloc declared its help for DR Congo at a disaster summit in Zimbabwe.

In an announcement, the 16-member group “reaffirmed its solidarity and unwavering dedication to proceed supporting the DRC in its pursuit of safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

Sadc has despatched peacekeeping troops, primarily from South Africa, to DR Congo to fight armed teams just like the M23 and restore peace within the mineral-rich area after a long time of unrest.

Sixteen troopers from southern African international locations have been killed in clashes with the M23 round Goma prior to now week.

The combating has additionally worsened the humanitarian disaster in jap DR Congo.

Shelley Thakral, from the UN’s World Meals Programme, mentioned the town’s residents have been working out of meals, clear water and medical provides.

“The availability chain has actually been strangled in the meanwhile if you consider land entry, air entry, when the whole lot is closed down,” she instructed AFP.

For the reason that begin of 2025, greater than 400,000 folks have been pressured from their properties, based on the UN’s refugee company.

DR Congo is Africa’s second-largest nation – about two-thirds the scale of Western Europe – and borders 9 totally different international locations.

Earlier conflicts within the nation throughout the Nineteen Nineties drew in a number of neighbours and have been dubbed Africa’s World Wars.