In brief
Following a week of warfare, the city of Goma is under the control of the Rwanda-supported M23 rebels, creating a humanitarian crisis for its two million inhabitants.
After intense fighting, Goma, a major city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has fallen almost entirely to rebels supported by Rwanda. This takeover has left the local population grappling with severe shortages of food and water, while hospitals are overflowing with casualties. The upheaval culminates in the Congolese military's collapse, leaving civilians adrift in an environment of chaos and uncertainty. Eyewitness accounts reveal that many residents are emerging from hiding, desperately searching for sustenance and clean water. In a particularly harrowing scene on Thursday, M23 militants transported over 1,000 captured Congolese soldiers, many still clad in their uniforms. Instead of curses directed at their captors, the soldiers expressed their ire towards Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and military leaders who abandoned them in their time of need. Reports indicate that these commanders fled to safety across Lake Kivu, effectively leaving the troops to fend for themselves during the rebel onslaught.As nothing has been done to bolster their ranks, those soldiers captured proclaimed that their leader would face repercussions for his perceived betrayal. “Tshisekedi will pay for this,” shouted one captured soldier, as the conflict in this region continues to escalate.
