France calls for an end to hostilities in DRC as major city falls
France has called for an end to Rwandan-backed hostilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a major city falls to M23 rebels.
The 23rd March Movement (M23) rebels said they have taken Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo, according to RFI on January 27th.
Videos shared online also showed M23 rebels patrolling the streets of Goma as they continue their advance against the Congolese army.
After the siege of the city, a mass jailbreak occurred on January 27th in Goma. Reported by RFI, “the prison was totally torched following the jailbreak, that resulted in deaths.”
France has expressed its solidarity with the DRC and has condemned the actions of neighboring state Rwanda, accused of supplying the M23 rebels with financial and military aid in their conflict with the Congolese army.
Kigali dismissed condemnations from France, Britain and the United States, and re-emphasised their commitment to assisting the peace process in the DRC. The state also blamed the Congolese authorities of triggering the latest escalation in violence, according to RFI.
The M23 rebels had made multiple successful advances in late January, controlling the outskirts of Goma and surrounding the city. MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo, told Congolese forces in the city to hand over their weapons to avoid fighting before they were evacuated.
As a result of the recent escalations, tens of thousands of people are fleeing from eastern Congo, exacerbating an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis with the number of displacements over 400,000 people in January alone, according to the UNHCR on January 24th.
The Congolese authorities continue to request sanctions from western allies, like France, on neighboring Rwanda to put pressure on Kigali to stop their support of the M23 rebels.
However, with the failure of peace talks in December 2024, and limited punishments for Rwanda, the international community appear to have limited themselves to humanitarian assistance in the DRC, with limited hope for a peace agreement in the near future.
RFI
