President Felix Tshisekedi cuts short Davos trip as M23 advance happymamay

The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo cut short his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos as the bloody conflict in his country escalates.

Fighting has intensified in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the beginning of the year, with Rwandan-backed M23 rebels controlling more territory than ever before.

The United Nations says that more than 400,000 people have fled their homes since the beginning of this year as the M23 movement advances towards the regional capital, Goma.

President Felix Tshisekedi returned from Switzerland to hold urgent security meetings with senior officials.

Over the past few weeks, the M23 movement has captured the towns of Masisi and Minova in North Kivu.

Local leaders said on Thursday that more than 200 civilians had been killed in areas controlled by the M23 movement.

According to the United Nations, two children were killed when bombs fell on a camp for displaced people.

The fall of Goma – a city of more than a million people located near the border with Rwanda – would be a major coup for the rebels. They briefly took control of the city during the 2012 rebellion, but withdrew after reaching an agreement.

Many roads leading to the city were closed, raising fears that the city’s food supplies would run out.

“The city of Goma is under siege, the town is suffocated, there are no more entrances or exits… These residents are suffering greatly,” Pahala Shammavu Innocent, a local union leader, told the BBC.

Espoir Ngalukiye, a member of the opposition party For the Republic, is also concerned about access to food.

“In Goma, we are not really safe,” Ngalukiye said. “No one living in Goma can tell you they don’t feel afraid.”

On Thursday, the rebels took control of the nearby town of Saki, according to the United Nations, the United Kingdom and various other sources.

But the Congolese army said it repelled the attack on Saki, which is located just 20 kilometers from Goma.

Residents of Saki and the wider region – many of whom were already displaced by the conflict – have fled their homes.

People flee, carrying mattresses and other necessities on their backs, while dozens gather in crowded wooden boats.

Thousands of terrified families fled towards Goma, where hospitals were crowded with injured civilians.

The M23 movement has controlled vast swathes of mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2021. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.

Last year, there were also fears that rebels would take control of Goma. The fighting calmed down in late July, but heavy fighting resumed in October and worsened by the end of the year.

The Democratic Republic of Congo and the United Nations say the M23 movement is supported by Rwanda. The Rwandan authorities did not confirm or deny this.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Friday that the current conflict threatens to escalate into a broader regional war.

Guterres called on “all parties to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to end all forms of support for armed groups,” a statement said.