Heavy battles between M23 fighters and Congolese government forces in eastern Goma have left many corpses in the streets, hospitals who find it difficult to deal with the growing number of victims.
On Monday, the rebels, which, according to the United Nations, are supported by Rwanda, walked in Goma and declared the key city under their control, signaling a blow to the Congolese army and a serious escalation in the conflict of several years that has killed hundreds of hundreds and millions of people in the region.
The Minister of Rural Development of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Muhindo Nzangi, said that the Congolese army had checked 80% of Goma, with Rwandan troops either on the outskirts of the city or on the other side of the border.
Tuesday, during a drop in press, the UN and other aid agencies warned that hospitals were overwhelmed by Goma who treats hundreds of patients with gunshots, mortar and shells while Many corpses were lying in the streets.
“There are currently hundreds of people in the hospital, the most admitted with ball injuries,” said Adelheid Marschang, an emergency interventions coordinator for the DRC.
At least 17 people were killed in Goma on Monday, and the AFP news agency said they had citing hospital sources that city doctors treated 367 people injured in clashes. Civil society members and NGOs working in Goma have killed the number of people at 25, with 375 people injured.
Greg Ramm, country director for Save The Children in the DRC, said on Tuesday that even “we have reports that the neighborhoods are calm, a few minutes later, we hear reports of new bombings”.
Shots of large weapons and mortar are heavy shots of mortar in the streets on Tuesday where many corpses could be seen, said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations humanitarian office during a press briefing, citing United Nations staff in the city.
Meanwhile, the World Food Program said that food assistance in and around Goma “have been temporarily interrupted” and expressed concern about food shortages.
Also Tuesday, South Africa confirmed Three of his soldiers died In fighting on Monday after being “caught in the cross fire”. He added that another soldier killed in recent fights was also died on Monday, bringing the number of his deaths in last week to 13.
The fighting sent thousands of people in broadcasting from Goma, which was a key regional center for humanitarian aid for displaced people. Hundreds of thousands of people have fought since the start of the year – in addition to 3 million that were moved in eastern DRC last year.
“The city is really in trouble and if it has not fallen overnight, it will do so in the coming days,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, at Sud Radio. “Rwanda must lay down its arms, calm must return and dialogue must restart.”
A Goma resident told the Reuters news agency that he had seen men in Rwandan army uniforms on Monday.
“In the evening, I went out to see what was the situation. I saw soldiers dressed in new Rwandan uniforms, “said Central Goma resident.
Fire exchanges also took place between the Congolese and Rwandan troops on each side of a border crossing near Goma. Five civilians were killed and 25 seriously injured on the outskirts of the Rwandan border city Gisenyi, Rwanda army for AFP on Monday.
The M23, or the March 23 movement, is one of the hundreds of armed groups operating in the eastern DRC and seeking to control critical mineral mines.
The group is made up of Tutsi fighters and says it fights for the rights of the minority Tutsi population of the DRC. He appeared in 2012 after a group of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) separated, complaining of ill -treatment.
In 2012, the M23 seized Goma for the first time, but the Congolese army, supported by the UN forces, pushed the rebels in the eastern hills on the border with Rwanda in 2013.
The DRC government and the UN accuse Rwanda, under President Paul Kagame, of supporting M23 with soldiers and weapons in order to control the eastern DRC rich in minerals.
“There is no doubt that there are Rwandan troops in Goma supporting M23,” said the head of the UN Peace Forces, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, to journalists during a difficulty event. “It’s hard to say exactly what are the figures.”
Rwanda denied the accusation and accused the DRC of hosting members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a rebellious anti-kagame group involved in the Rwandan genocide of 1994.
While fighting is intensifying, the African Union Peace and Security Council will last a meeting later on Tuesday to discuss the crisis.
The United Nations Security Council will also meet on Tuesday to discuss the crisis.
