NEWS– As the world focuses attention on the Gaza conflict, thousands of people are fleeing violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as fighting intensifies between the National Congolese army and the M23 armed group.
Thousands of people fled in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo through last week, as M23 rebels advance near Goma fighters reportedly surround strategic town of Sake, forcing thousands to flee closer to North Kivu’s capital City Goma.
M23 rebels launched a major new offensive in March 2022, sparking a conflict that has led to military intervention from neighbouring East African regional leaders who brokered a ceasefire last year but it has been repeatedly been violated.
M23 fighters are reported to have surrounded the strategic town of Sake, dealing a logistical blow to Congolese Government soldiers, a crucial step before reaching Goma, the capital of North Kivu.
The Congolese Government Army and United Nations peacekeepers have been struggling to contain the M23 advance in vain and fighting continues and thousands of those who fled Sake have arrived in Bulengo a location about 10km west of Goma.
It remains unclear whether the Congolese Government Army or the M23 rebels are now controlling the area, but the situation in Sake Town is very bad with heavy fighting between soldiers and M23 rebels.
One of displaced person from Sake, Justin Musau told journalists that the M23 attacked with heavy guns and bombs and that’s is why they are fleeing for their lives to take refugee in Goma, but they don’t know where exactly to go.
Clashes between the M23 rebels, Congolese Army forces and self-defence groups that support them have escalated recently, forcing entire communities in Masisi and Rutshuru territories to flee to perceived areas of greater safety on the outskirts of Goma.
On Wednesday last week, a rocket landed near Goma University, however, there were no casualties from the attack, which blasted a crater into an area of open ground in the Lac Vert neighbourhood northwest of Goma and this underscored the potential threat to the City of approximately 2 million people.
The Democratic Republic of Congo government has promised that it would not let Goma which is close to the border with Rwanda fall to the M23 rebels, though in 2012, the rebels captured the city but were forced to withdraw after internvation from neighbouring countries.
The M23 Spokesman said in a statement early this week that it was not its goal to capture Goma and described its actions as defensive manoeuvres whenever they are attacked by the Government Soldiers.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, Western powers and a UN expert groups have repeatedly said the Tutsi-led M23 rebel group is supported by Rwanda, but Rwanda has denied all involvement and this accusations have led to a diplomatic crisis in the region.
The UN’s humanitarian office have indicated that, as the fighting go on, about 42,000 people have been displaced from Masisi alone since February 2nd 2024, after the M23 made major advances to the Town of Mweso which brought the conflict even closer to Goma.
The Head of a Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) team in Mweso, Ms Natalia Torrent said that they received 30 wounded people in recent days and has had to evacuate some of its own staff after bullets struck a Hospital in which thousands of Mweso residents were taking shelter.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo has deployed troops to secure a safe corridor for people fleeing the Town of Mweso and many of them are still seeking safety in Sake Town.
Additional Reporting from Aljazzera Africa.
