In the Democratic Republic of Congo, fighting intensified around the city of Goma, capital of the North Kivu province. These battles pit the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and the M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda.
The fighting would have closed 9 km from the city of Goma according to an estimate by Bintou Keita, the head of the UN mission (MONUSCO). The tensions led to a cut in the city’s water and electricity supply, according to consistent sources. The rebel group also declared Goma airport closed in a statement.
The city of Goma surrounded
The vice-governor of North Kivu, Romuald Ekuka Lipopo, called on the populations for calm through Radio Okapi. The conflict has accelerated in recent days, following the death of the military governor of North Kivu, Major General Peter Cirimwami, shot during a raid on the ground on Thursday (23.1.2025). The announcement of his death from his injuries was officially made on Friday (24.1.2025) by the army spokesperson, General Sylvain Ekenge, following the council of ministers.
The spokesperson for the Congolese army affirmed this Saturday during a government press conference that Rwanda was determined to seize the city of Goma, a large city in the east of the country almost surrounded by the M23. General Sylvain Ekenge assured that the Congolese armed forces were determined to “repel the enemy”.
Emergency meeting at the UN
The head of Congolese diplomacy, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, requested on behalf of her country, an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. This meeting originally scheduled for Monday was rescheduled for this Sunday (26.1.2025) due to the escalation of the conflict.
-South Africa, militarily present in eastern DRC alongside the Congolese army, announced that it had lost nine men during the fighting to push the M23 away from Goma. Malawi and Uruguay also announced having lost soldiers during the fighting, namely three Malawians and one Uruguayan.
Diplomatic break
A sign of a consummate diplomatic rupture between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophonie of the DRC informed the diplomatic representation of Rwanda in Kinshasa of the recall of Congolese diplomatic personnel to Kigali and asked Rwanda to draw all the consequences of this decision by ceasing within 48 hours, therefore this Sunday at the latest, all diplomatic and consular activities of Rwanda in Kinshasa.
Rwanda “evacuated” its last diplomat to Kinshasa on Friday, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Olivier Nduhungirehe announced to AFP on Sunday.
