DRC Cuts Ties with Rwanda as M23 Rebels Claim Goma; 13 Peacekeepers Killed

Jan 26, 2025, 12:03 PM

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have advanced into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), reaching the outskirts of the key city of Goma and claiming to have captured it. Goma, a city of 2 million people, is experiencing 'mass panic,' according to the United Nations. Fierce fighting has led to the deaths of at least 13 international peacekeepers, including nine South African soldiers, three Malawian soldiers, and one Uruguayan soldier. The Congolese government has called the rebel advance a 'declaration of war' and severed diplomatic ties with Rwanda. Airports in Goma have been closed as hundreds of thousands of civilians flee the violence. The United Nations Security Council has convened an emergency meeting to address the escalating crisis.