The rebels of the M23, supported by Rwanda, killed a military governor while they were advancing in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, confirmed the army on Friday.
Major-General Peter Cirimwami, governor of North Kivu, was shot down by M23 fighters while going to the front line on Thursday.
He was transported by plane to the Kinshasa capital to possibly be treated abroad, but “succumbed to his injuries,” said army spokesman, General Sylvain Ekenge.
The fighting between the M23 and the Congolese army have intensified since the beginning of the year, the rebels taking control of more territories than ever.
More than 400,000 people have fled their homes since the start of this year while the M23 is advancing on the city of Goma, reports the UN.
As they headed for Goma, the M23 seized the cities of Masisi and Minova.
More than 200 civilians were killed in the areas conquered by the M23, local leaders announced on Thursday.
Goma hospitals treat hundreds of injured patients.
And according to the United Nations, two children died after bombs fell on a camp of displaced people.
Human Rights Watch warned against climbing risks for civilians while the Congolese army fights the rebels of the M23. The humanitarian group accuses both parties of having committed serious abuse against civilians.
The UN warned that the current conflict aggravates the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Due to these disorders, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi shorted his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos and returned Thursday to hold urgent security meetings with senior officials.
President Tshisekedi gave the army for instructions to “track down the enemy who attacks us, to repel him far from Goma and to prosecute him throughout the national territory,” said General Ekenge.
The fall of Goma – a city of more than a million inhabitants located near the border with Rwanda – would be a major coup for the rebels. They briefly took control of the city during a rebellion in 2012, but retired after the negotiation of an agreement.
Many roads leading to the city are now blocked, arousing concerns about a possible shortage of food in the city.
“The city of Goma is taken in the vice, the city is stifled, there are no more entries, there are no more outings … This population suffers enormously,” the BBC the local union Bahala said at the BBC Shamavu innocent.
Hope Ngalukiye, member of the opposition party together for the Republic, is also concerned about access to food.
“In Goma, we are not really safe,” said Ngalukiye. “No one who lives in Goma can tell you that he is not afraid.”
In recent days, the United States, the United Kingdom and France have advised their nationals to leave Goma as soon as possible.
General Cirimwami was appointed governor of North Kivu in 2023, responsible for ending decades of conflict in the region. At the time, the appointment of a military governor had aroused certain criticisms.
Previously, as a military commander, General Cirimwami opposed the will of President Tshisekedi and collaborated with the armed group FDLR in the fight against M23, according to the United Nations.
Some FDLR leaders were linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the group was also accused of human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Rwanda has repeatedly accused the Congolese authorities of working with the FDLRs and has invaded its much larger neighbor twice, saying that it was attacking the authors of the genocide.
On Thursday, the rebels of the M23 took the neighboring city of Sake, according to the United Nations, the United Kingdom and various other sources.
But the Congolese army said it had pushed the attack on Sake, located just 20 kilometers from Goma.
The inhabitants of Sake and the region, many of which were already moved by the conflict, fled their houses.
People run away by transporting mattresses and other basic necessities on their backs, while dozens of people pile up in overcrowded wooden boats.
Thousands of panicked families fled to Goma, where hospitals are overwhelmed with injured civilians.
The M23 has taken control of large expanses from eastern DRC, rich in minerals, since 2021. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of people have been moved.
Last year, it was also feared that the rebels seize Goma. The fighting experienced an lull at the end of July, but violent battles resumed in October and worsened towards the end of the year.
The DR Congo and the UN claim that the M23 is supported by Rwanda. Rwandan authorities do not confirm it or inform it.
UN experts claim that Rwanda has between 3,000 and 4,000 soldiers operating alongside the M23 in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that the current conflict was likely to degenerate into a wider regional war.
Mr. Guterres called on “all actors to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo and to put an end to any form of support for armed groups”, said a press release.
Additional Richard Kagoe report
