According to authorities, fighting with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels who took control of the city in a major escalation of a ten-year conflict has resulted in at least 773 deaths in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) main city, Goma, and the surrounding area in just one week.
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric reports that M23 militants, supported by Rwanda, have taken control of the capital of North Kivu province, injuring 2,800 people. He also warned that it would grow further.
Although the fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo dates back to the 1990s, it has intensified significantly since the start of this year.
The government of DR Congo claims the Rwanda-backed rebels are trying to seize control of the region’s mineral wealth, while M23, an ethnic Tutsi group, maintains they are fighting for the rights of minorities. The humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is worsening, with civilians likely caught in the midst of intense fighting.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) reports that the situation is rapidly escalating from desperate to disastrous, as people run out of food and essential supplies.