Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, accompanied by Rwandan forces, advanced on Goma, a regional hub for security and humanitarian operations, this week
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Congolese soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) walk in line after the army took over an ADF rebel camp, near the town of Kimbau, North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, February 20, 2018. File image/Reuters
The Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday (December 26) accused Rwanda of violating its sovereignty by crossing into Congolese territory, calling the incursion a “declaration of war” and urging the UN Security Council to impose sanctions.
Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner urged the Security Council to impose sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, on Rwandan military leaders and political decision-makers responsible for the aggression.
“This is a frontal assault, a declaration of war that no longer hides behind diplomatic artifice,” she told an emergency Security Council meeting.
M23, Rwandan forces’ assault in DRC
Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, accompanied by Rwandan forces, advanced on Goma, a regional hub for security and humanitarian operations, this week.
Heavy detonations echoed in the city centre on Sunday morning (local time), and later in the day, a Rwandan drone reportedly struck a Congolese army position six kilometers (four miles) north of the city.
Rwanda denies supporting M23 rebels– that have controlled large swathes of North Kivu since 2021– but acknowledged in 2024 that it had troops in eastern Congo to safeguard its security. UN experts estimate that up to 4,000 Rwandan forces are operating in the region.
The failure of peace talks between Kagame and Tshisekedi in December last year are understood to have fuelled tensions in conflict-hit region. This also enabled M23 fighters and Rwandan troops to rapidly advance toward Goma, a city of over one million people.
Global leaders’ reactions
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Rwandan forces to withdr